SINGAPORE – There has been a spike in the number of young people locked up in Changi Prison for their involvement in secret society activities, under a law that allows detention without trial.
Singapore Prison Service (SPS) figures show that 65 individuals aged 29 or younger were in detention under the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act (CLTPA) as at Dec 31, 2024.
They included eight teenagers.
There were 46 detainees aged 29 or younger in 2023, and 45 in 2022.
In all three years, the large majority of inmates were detained for their involvement in secret society activities.
CLTPA is used for serious crimes when prosecution is not viable, such as when witnesses are unwilling to testify in court for fear of reprisal.
A police spokeswoman told The Straits Times that under the Act, the Minister for Home Affairs may detain, or place under police supervision, persons associated with activities of a criminal nature, including involvement in a secret society.
The Act also covers offences such as unlicensed moneylending, drug trafficking, kidnapping and organised crime.
Those issued a detention order by the Minister for Home Affairs can be detained for up to 12 months.
Police said the minister must be satisfied that detaining a person under the Act is necessary in the interest of public safety, peace and good order. They added that powers under the Act are exercised carefully and sparingly.
“Our approach to tackling (secret society activities) includes enforcement under the Penal Code, and outreach to at-risk youths, with CLTPA being invoked only as a last resort,” said the police spokeswoman.
“The CLTPA is a critical piece of legislation for the police to deal with egregious criminal activities which threaten the sense of safety and security in Singapore, but which our typical criminal framework is unable to address effectively, in particular, the activities of gangs and secret societies.”
More than 1,300 suspected members of unlawful societies were arrested from 2022 to 2024.
As at Dec 31, 2024, SPS figures show that there were 100 CLTPA detainees across all age groups, including 99 who were behind bars for secret society activities.
Police said fewer than 10 individuals aged 19 and below were detained under the Act over the past three years.
“The police monitor the youth gang situation closely through regular and timely enforcement, and also put in place preventive education measures to steer youth away from gang activities,” the spokeswoman said.
For those who end up in gangs, the police said they adopt a rehabilitative approach in helping them reform, through emplacement in diversionary initiatives such as the Streetwise Programme.
However, for those who have committed serious criminal and secret society offences, the police said they will deal with them firmly and strictly, in accordance with the law.
The police added that there are safeguards in place to ensure that the CLTPA is used judiciously. For example, the public prosecutor’s consent must be obtained before a detention order can be issued by the Minister for Home Affairs.
Every order must also be reviewed by an independent advisory committee, which is chaired by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court and comprises respected members of society such as Justices of the Peace and senior lawyers, the police spokeswoman said.
In 2024, the CLTPA was extended for another five years by Parliament, the 15th time this has happened after it was enacted in 1955 to deal with Singapore’s gang problem.
Young gangs
Common gang offences such as unlawful assembly, rioting and gang recruitment are mainly perpetrated by loosely organised street gangs with fluid membership, including youth, said the police spokeswoman.
“Gangs typically target youth as they are impressionable and easily lured through the promise of a sense of brotherhood, companionship and protection,” she said, adding that secret society activities in Singapore remain suppressed through the Secret Societies Branch’s (SSB) two-pronged approach of enforcement and prevention.
SSB is part of the Criminal Investigation Department. It works closely with partners such as SPS, the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) on preventive education, with a range of upstream educational measures and downstream rehabilitative initiatives.
These include anti-gang talks to secondary school students, youth inmates at the Reformative Training Centre, and residents of Singapore Boys’ Home and Singapore Boys’ Hostel.
Young people who have become involved in secret society activities may be put through the Streetwise Programme, a voluntary, structured six-month programme for wayward youth to get assistance and counselling from professional social workers and police officers.
The programme is administered by social service agencies, and managed and funded by MSF.
The police spokeswoman said at-risk youth may be identified through police investigations and during secret society suppression operations, or through referrals from their schools and parents.
An SPS spokeswoman said there are various rehabilitation initiatives in prison for criminal law detainees, including psychology-based correctional programmes, family programmes, work programmes and education programmes.
Detainees can also attend Workforce Skills Qualification courses and religious services.
There is also a gang renunciation programme, where inmates openly declare their intention to renounce their gang affiliations in a ceremony attended by family members, SPS officers, volunteers and other inmates.
Those who have renounced their gang affiliations under the programme are eligible for complimentary tattoo removal during their incarceration, to remove physical labels associated with their former gangs.
SPS said it also works with social service agencies specialising in family services to deliver structured family programmes in prison.
“Having a stable family is key to the successful rehabilitation and reintegration of an inmate, and these programmes aim to increase inmates’ knowledge, skills and confidence in maintaining ties and building stronger relationships with their family members, especially for younger inmates with intact families,” SPS added.
The Family Reintegration Programme, which was started in January 2019, prepares inmates and their families for reintegration by equipping them with the skills and knowledge to enhance familial bonds.
The programme includes a facilitated open-visit session, which allows inmates and their families to interact without physical barriers.
“Younger inmates may also benefit more from education opportunities if they have the interest to pursue further education and have sufficient remaining sentence to undergo full-time studies while still in prison,” said the SPS spokeswoman.
But she acknowledged that young people find it more challenging to renounce their gang membership.
“Young inmates are generally more easily influenced by peer pressure and desire for social belonging. This makes it harder for them to renounce their gang membership. As most of them are single and do not have family responsibilities, they may be more inclined to re-affiliate with their peers upon release for fear of social isolation,” she said, adding that SPS adopts a zero-tolerance policy towards all gang-related activities to maintain order and discipline in the prisons.
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