International Correctional Leadership Programme 2023

Singapore, 25 September 2023 – The inaugural run of the International Correctional Leadership Programme (ICLP) will be held in Singapore from 25 to 29 September 2023. Organised by the Singapore Prison Service (SPS), the programme aims to foster networking and collaboration among leaders of international correctional agencies, and offers a platform for participants to share evidence-informed practices in the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders.

The ICLP is the first of its kind in the Asia Pacific region, organised in response to heightened interest among correctional service leaders to share best practices. Through the ICLP, SPS hopes to create a network to foster knowledge transfer and leadership development amongst correctional leaders in the region and beyond.

A total of 21 participants (16 international, 5 local) from 12 countries are participating in the inaugural run. They include correctional leaders from Brunei, Cambodia, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Maldives, Nauru, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vanuatu and Singapore. Participants from SPS and Yellow Ribbon Singapore (YRSG) will also share local practices and join the discussions in the five-day programme.

As part of the programme, Asian and Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators (APCCA) Rapporteurs, Emeritus Professor Neil Morgan AM and Ms Irene Morgan will share insights on the challenges and initiatives in corrections in the Asia Pacific region. Other programme segments will include topics on technology, communications, staff capability, rehabilitation, and reintegration. Correctional service leaders in the ICLP also participated in the Yellow Ribbon Prison Run 2023 on 24 September.

The Guest-of-Honour, Assoc Prof Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs & Ministry of National Development, delivered an address during the Opening Ceremony on 25 September 2023. He highlighted the crucial need for correctional agencies to adopt an evidence-informed throughcare approach, providing comprehensive support to offenders throughout their journey, from the onset of incarceration to community reintegration. Emphasising the importance of progress through constant learning, he underscored the ICLP as an important and meaningful platform to foster a culture of learning and collaboration for leaders of correctional agencies.

Sharing Correctional Best Practices
As a leading correctional agency committed to enforcing the safe and secure custody of offenders and rehabilitating them, SPS regularly participates in local and international conferences on corrections to share its practices on various topics, such as the development of evidence-informed rehabilitation programmes. Singapore is also joint secretariat with Hong Kong Correctional Services Department for APCCA which comprises 34 members from 27 countries.

Commissioner of Prisons, Ms Shie Yong Lee, said, “SPS is honoured to organise ICLP. We bring together correctional leaders from 12 countries in the region to share on contemporary and evidence-informed correctional practices, specifically what works and the leadership challenges faced. ICLP also gives SPS the opportunity to share more about the Singapore model of corrections that has shown good results, especially how our Captains of Lives work in close partnership with our community volunteers, as well as the strong collaboration between the public and private sectors to support successful reintegration of ex-offenders into the community. Through ICLP, we encourage correctional leaders to appreciate and assess the diverse features of each country’s model of corrections, promoting cross-cultural understanding and learning.”