Singapore Prison Service

“Work is not a right; it is a privilege”, said Wong Hoi Kit, commenting on the labour policy implemented by the Singapore Prison Service. “We have a captive labour market; the prisoners are eager to work, as it gives them a chance to interact with others, while it helps the time go by.” The motto of the Singapore Prison Service was “Security – Humanity – Rehabilitation”, and considerable energy was focused on rehabilitating inmates by teaching them skills, through on‐the‐job training, during their prison terms. To this end, inmates were put to work, and that which they produced was sold for profit. Mr Wong – who had his MBA from Queen’s University, Canada – was chief executive officer of Singapore’s Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises (SCORE); in this capacity, he was seeking to identify commercially‐viable food industry opportunities, which would meet the objectives and constraints of the prison environment. These could include primary production, manufacturing, packaging and catering.