The Singapore Prison Service guard is monitoring the CCTV in the Drug Rehabilitation Centre (DRC) control room. Kim, a young professional, got caught up in drug trafficking after starting to use cannabis to cope with family issues. She never thought she would be charged with drug trafficking, but now faces a potential lengthy prison term in a country with some of the strictest drug laws in the world.
In Singapore, possessing certain quantities of drugs can lead to charges of trafficking, with the death penalty being mandatory for larger amounts. While Kim’s friends were sent to a state-run Drug Rehabilitation Centre for six months, Kim is awaiting judgement on her charges.
The Drug Rehabilitation Centre in Singapore is a strict facility run by the Prison Service, where inmates are given psychology-based courses to help them stay away from drugs. Inmates like Jon, who has a history of methamphetamine use, are trying to turn their lives around and stay clean after mandatory rehabilitation.
The Singaporean government has shifted its approach to drug users, focusing more on rehabilitation and reintegration into society rather than criminalization. Despite critics calling the DRC a form of mandatory detention with superficial programs, the government believes in helping former inmates find work and stay drug-free.
Surveillance, including regular urine analysis, plays a crucial role in keeping former inmates clean and reintegrated into society. While some do relapse, many successfully reintegrate and live as productive citizens of Singapore.