Development of a new occupational therapy service in a Singapore prison

Abstract

Statement of context In April 2011, a contract between Singapore Prison Service and Institute of Mental Health paved the way for setting up the first occupational therapy service within the prisons. A well-defined workflow was put in place and a variety of group activities were drawn up to improve life management and social skills among offenders. Critical reflection on practice Occupational therapists found it challenging to provide authentic occupations for offenders within the custodial prison setting, but were able to gradually create pockets of opportunities to improve socialization and assign worker roles for them. After 1 year of occupational therapy intervention, the offenders showed an improvement in all functional domains of the adapted Task Behavioural Scale. Through close collaboration, correctional officers were also gradually supportive of new therapeutic initiatives. Summary Overall, the occupational therapists found that they had gained new valuable skills in adjusting therapy to cater to different risk levels.