The Singapore Prison Service (SPS) developed and implemented a group-based violence intervention programme called HERO in April 2019. While there were intervention programmes for violence before this, HERO was developed as an evolution of these programmes in three areas.
- The programme was implemented within a transformational environment (TE) which will be outlined later in the article.
- HERO provided renewed focus on several intervention needs such as emotion regulation, social problem solving and schemas.
- We began to deliver the programme in an open group structure.
Core Programme: HERO
The word HERO is an acronym that represents the core values of the programme – Honor, Empathy, Resilience, and Ownership. These values were selected by programme participants over the years as being important in their journey of change. Beyond the individual values, HERO is also a nod to the courage that participants display when they embark on the journey of change towards non-violence. Many participants enter the programme glorifying or justifying the use of violence. We want them to consider what it means to them and their loved ones to truly be a HERO.
HERO consists of four core modules: relationships, emotion regulation, thoughts and beliefs, and conflict resolution. Beyond the core modules, psychologists engage the participants in individual sessions when needed to assess specific risk-related needs the individual may have. Participants, who are assessed to be of moderate to high risk of violent reoffending, usually stay within the programme for about six months. Upon completion, most move on to other correctional units while a few stay on as peer facilitators. HERO is conducted as an open group with new participants joining the group at the start of each module. Running the programme as an open group brings several advantages. It allows for more participants to attend the programme, with no lull between groups. Over time, this stability enables facilitators to build a stable culture and harness group dynamics to elicit change. “Senior” participants can be called on to guide and encourage newer participants.
Peer Facilitators
A core aspect of the TE is the involvement of peer facilitators. These are graduates of the HERO programme who stay on within the TE to serve as facilitators to other inmates going through the programme. They actively support newcomers to the programme, helping them through any concerns they may have as they enter the environment. They also reinforce prosocial behaviours by role modelling these behaviours as well as identifying and affirming other participants in the programme. Often, the conversations with peer facilitators focuses on the participants’ motivation for change. Peer facilitators attend training and coaching sessions to improve their facilitation skills, providing them with a developmental framework to enhance their skills and build a positive identity. Through their involvement in the programme, psychologists obtain key insights into the relevance of the content and activities discussed in group, which we then use to improve them.
Transformational Environment (TE)
The concept of a TE draws inspiration from the work of others in the field of offender rehabilitation. Specifically, we referenced Milieu Therapy (Devine, 1981), ideas on Therapeutic Communities (De Leon, 2000), particularly within forensic populations, and the Psychologically Informed Planned Environments (PIPEs) that have been implemented as part of the National Health Service and HMPPS’s Offender Personality Disorder pathway. From these references, we landed on three concepts that anchor our TE:
- change happens through safe, supportive and structured relationships;
- the importance of a living-learning environment where everything that happens in the course of day-to-day living becomes an opportunity for learning and practice; and
- the need for participants of the TE to take ownership of and be accountable for their behaviour while contributing to the community they are living in.
The TE is more than HERO. It is important for inmates to be engaged in meaningful activities within the institution. These activities provide opportunities for the practice, rehearsal and reinforcement of the knowledge and skills that they are introduced to within the programme. Beyond group sessions, community meetings are held and self-facilitated activities are encouraged. Community meetings range in content. At times, desistors in the community may return to the TE to share their experience and provide an insight into their reintegration journey. The content is also curated in discussion with participants and has included topics such as mending relationships with their family, exploring a new identity, emotion regulation and coping with stress, amongst others. When a dispute arises, these meetings can be run as restorative circles which serve as a safe space for participants to share their reflections, the impact of their actions, and to take responsibility for the harm caused to the community. The officers working in the correctional unit, psychologists and peer facilitators are usually involved in these circles together with participants.
Participants have the autonomy to propose activities for the community to the officers working on the correctional unit. These self-facilitated activities are planned for and implemented by the participants. The process of doing so provides opportunities for the community to take ownership of aspects of their environment and to negotiate differences amicably. Officers and psychologists join in these sessions where appropriate. Examples of such sessions include game competitions, appreciation days and community projects.
Close collaboration between officers and psychologists is intentionally fostered. Monthly meetings are scheduled to take stock of potential issues related to participants, the programme and activity or processes within the TE. These meetings are also an opportunity to affirm each other for successes achieved during the month and to highlight participant progress. Beyond this, yearly retreats are held to determine how the TE has developed towards its aims and strategies. These retreats are also held when there is a significant leadership transition within the correctional unit to ensure alignment between staff.
Preliminary evaluation outcomes using a pre-post paired observations design indicate that the TE has been effective in increasing participants’ motivation to change problematic behaviours and their interpretation of ambiguous behaviours as accidental or neutral. There was also a reduction in participants’ overall violent attitudes and beliefs (specifically machismo beliefs) and an improvement in problem solving, leading to them feeling more confident and optimistic in resolving their problems. There was also a perceived sense of belonging to and support from people within the TE. Importantly, this has also resulted in a marked reduction in institutional disciplinary reports.
Community Collaboration and Support
The transition to the community can be difficult if scaffolds are not in place. SPS works with a support group called the Thye Hua Kwan (THK) Brotherhood which caters to men struggling with aggression in Singapore.
Conclusion
The TE’s approach fosters personal responsibility, community engagement, and meaningful connections both within and beyond institutional walls.
Melvinder Singh | Senior Principal Psychologist | Singapore Prison Service
Yasmin Ahamed | Assistant Director in the Psychological Services Branch | Singapore Prison Service
Questions? Contact SPS Lead Psychologist Yan Ling: LEOW_Yan_Ling@pris.gov.sg
