THERE'S not much an inmate can do for his family while he is in
jail, said a former convict who now counsels inmates.
Mr Samuel Chow, 51, was convicted of armed robbery in 1985 and
sentenced to 10 years' jail. Now a manager of his own hardware and
paint business, he goes to Changi Prison to counsel inmates every
month.
He said he encourages inmates not to worry about their
families.
Said Mr Chow: 'I tell them to read books or pray so that their
minds won't wander. They can't control what's happening outside the
prison walls.'
As for family members, the Singapore Prison Service provides remote
tele-visit facilities so they may 'visit' inmates at Changi Prison
from Cisco Centre2 in Paya Lebar or Queenstown Remand Prison.
An Internet home tele-visit system allows family members to 'visit'
inmates from home through Internet broadband
video-conferencing.