Halfway house Highpoint at lor23Geylang - Rehab or Hooligans' den?

[pachinko]

I went with my family to visit the new Singapore Badminton Hall within their premises to find out more about this new facility . We did not have a comfortable feeling inside this compound occupied by heavily tattooed inmates supposedly turning over a new leaf with "religious" influence.

They all stared at us menacingly from top to bottom , my teenage son and daughters , including my spouse were feeling very uncomfortable with their 'hungry' look . Why are they roaming freely all over the compound when they are supposed to be learning to be good in order to integrate with society again? They were rowdy and behaving like hooligans , the public will be visiting SBH regularly to enjoy their badminton games and I strongly feel they should be protected from these menacing guys. I will not call them hooligans if they had not caused Fear in us during our visit , when I parked my car in the open car park , 2 guys ( wearing blue and orange polo Ts ) in his late 30s came near me and signaled me to bring down my window. The crew cut Chinese guy ordered me in a loud voice to park properly ??? Even when my car was within the lot? His partner stared but did not say anything , for a moment I thought they wanted money . Fortunately we were saved by another motorist who parked next to me and they left us abruptly.

I was really upset with this visit and will probably give up the idea of playing badminton with my family there unless
there is better security for the public . There are teenagers and the Singapore state team training there which is a great danger , hopefully , the CEO of this centre will restrain their inmates from misbehaving and stop them roaming around so freely in the compound.

 

[lianbeng]

lianbeng says, "just ignore them like a bunch of useless dogs lah!"

 

[valleycat]

I also had a bad experience visiting the Greenhome where my relative stays , it is very intimidating to be there when all these scary looking men in heavy tattoos stared at me with their 'popeyes' . Even when a well dressed man in white long-sleeved shirt and pants was around makes no difference , I suspect he is like the inmates , served time and become their head but still spoke loudly and arrogantly.

I spent a short time there feeling very unwelcomed , frightened that they may bully me , I droves off when a guy in blue polo walked towards my car.

Wonder who owns the car park ? LTA, URA or Private ? Perhaps ,this halfway house with such offenders should be moved to Woodlands or Seletar so that they will not pose a threat to public. They should remove all tattoos and have a trained professional with no past records in crime to mentor them. It's an uphill task to reform them but congregating them in a lace so close to heavy human traffic is not a good idea.

 

[RonRon]

Seriously these ex convicts are just taking opportunity from the romantice Yellow Ribbon projects. I have business friends who volunteer to employ some ex prisoners upon their release thru SCORES ended up having nightmares, some asked for advance pay check and never turn up for works the next day, some will disappear from work without informing their whereabout. And once one of the supervisors asked why are they not reporting to work without notice, he ended up beaten by 2 of the tattoos employee and hospitalise for a week!
Seriously in my opinion these yellow ribbon project cannot work, there will be a few successful cases and the media will only chose to report those who have integrated well to the society. While the majority I should say 95% will be not change.

 

[Narong Wongwan]

Those guys are all ex druggies....technically still serving sentence.....no need to be scare of them....any problem they will go straight back in to jail....they more scare then you

 

[valleycat]

is it true pastor and CEO also ex-convicts ? if true there is a serious danger they may compromise their positions and team up with inmates to cause more problems..I am not suggesting they will not change but the hard truth is 'leopard never change their spots' , don't wish to be pessimistic but it's a reality of life.

if I didnt witness and experience myself , I think such comments may be biased but bad experiences there convinced me a reputable professional must be the role model for change .I donated to this organisation before after using them for house moving but that's all I will do and no more.

 

[lianbeng]

lianbeng heard got 1 shop opposite supreme court at people's park centre iszit? all of them ex-convicts some heavily tattooed also leh.

 

[Conqueror]

I Have Never A Supporter Of Yellow Ribbons

I rather have them whipped and dragged like those in Montana Bay prisons. It's not that I'm sadistic. I'm just being just. The wicked will have to be punished. I don't belong those stupid churches that help ex-prisoners and do volunteer works. The govt has to do that not us. They are saving too much and that is why now they have to be paid by the millions. Too much money in the coffer is very tempting.

 

[Narong Wongwan]

Re: I Have Never A Supporter Of Yellow Ribbons

yellow ribbon started because govt wants to save money housing and feeding prisoners and also let employers have cheap labour....
not every one in prison is wicked.....political prisoners are a case in point

 

[Cestbon]

I will never hire ex convict. Why want to hire them?
There are many FT and citizen to choose from. The ex-convict will be the last choice if others source of worker are unavailable.

 

[zeddy]

Re: I Have Never A Supporter Of Yellow Ribbons

Got this 2 chaps in my company.. Both of them were ex cons.. A Malay and a Chinese.. My company recruited the Chinese chap few years back and he truthfully told us that he was an ex inmate just released from prison.. Sensing his sincererity we accepted him as a Delivery driver... No problem at all from him.. very diligent, hardworking and trustworthy.. Then last year he asked me whether we are interested in taking in an assistant to assist him in his delivery as his workload had increased... My HR agreed and he recomended his friend, his fellow ex cellmate who was a Malay.. They worked side by side with each other and I'm proud to say that I had no regrets whatsoever in taking them as my company's staff.. No problems from them, punctual in work, diligent, and they really proving themselves to be capable workers... Not all ex inmates are bad... Some are serious in proving themselves and changing their lives for the better...

 

[Cestbon]

Re: I Have Never A Supporter Of Yellow Ribbons

Got this 2 chaps in my company.. Both of them were ex cons.. A Malay and a Chinese.. My company recruited the Chinese chap few years back and he truthfully told us that he was an ex inmate just released from prison.. Sensing his sincererity we accepted him as a Delivery driver... No problem at all from him.. very diligent, hardworking and trustworthy.. Then last year he asked me whether we are interested in taking in an assistant to assist him in his delivery as his workload had increased... My HR agreed and he recomended his friend, his fellow ex cellmate who was a Malay.. They worked side by side with each other and I'm proud to say that I had no regrets whatsoever in taking them as my company's staff.. No problems from them, punctual in work, diligent, and they really proving themselves to be capable workers... Not all ex inmates are bad... Some are serious in proving themselves and changing their lives for the better...

May I ask. Do they have tattoo? Eg on hand and leg?
If private part no need to know.

 

[scroobal]

Re: I Have Never A Supporter Of Yellow Ribbons

Thanks for sharing. These are the good news stuff that brightens up one's day and gives mankind hope. Thanks for giving them a chance.

Got this 2 chaps in my company.. Both of them were ex cons.. A Malay and a Chinese.. My company recruited the Chinese chap few years back and he truthfully told us that he was an ex inmate just released from prison.. Sensing his sincererity we accepted him as a Delivery driver... No problem at all from him.. very diligent, hardworking and trustworthy.. Then last year he asked me whether we are interested in taking in an assistant to assist him in his delivery as his workload had increased... My HR agreed and he recomended his friend, his fellow ex cellmate who was a Malay.. They worked side by side with each other and I'm proud to say that I had no regrets whatsoever in taking them as my company's staff.. No problems from them, punctual in work, diligent, and they really proving themselves to be capable workers... Not all ex inmates are bad... Some are serious in proving themselves and changing their lives for the better...

 

[scroobal]

I know where you are coming from. Recidivism is very high and there is high correlation between age and recidivism. One of issues with the yellow ribbon projects is that they don't train potential employers in interview skills and they don't release the subject's antecedents.

There are some that are menace to society and having served the time have to released. Then you have serial con-men who will bring your entire company down as one ex-PAP MP found to his surprise.

At times it is a gamble.

Druggies unfortunately are the worst.

The Govt can do more by educating the public.

Seriously these ex convicts are just taking opportunity from the romantice Yellow Ribbon projects. I have business friends who volunteer to employ some ex prisoners upon their release thru SCORES ended up having nightmares, some asked for advance pay check and never turn up for works the next day, some will disappear from work without informing their whereabout. And once one of the supervisors asked why are they not reporting to work without notice, he ended up beaten by 2 of the tattoos employee and hospitalise for a week!
Seriously in my opinion these yellow ribbon project cannot work, there will be a few successful cases and the media will only chose to report those who have integrated well to the society. While the majority I should say 95% will be not change.

 

[zeddy]

Re: I Have Never A Supporter Of Yellow Ribbons

May I ask. Do they have tattoo? Eg on hand and leg?
If private part no need to know.

Chinese chap has a Phoenix tatoo on his back while the Malay guy has a naked lady tatoo on his right arm... But as I say, they have not given my company any problems at all so far.. The Malay chap even came for overtime work yesterday during Hari Raya Haji.. Went to my office for a short while yesterday to buy him breakfast.. I really feel that local companies must do more to give these ex inmates a chance to redeem themselves.. If not us fellow Sporeans then who else is goin to give them their breakthrough in their lives?

 

[zeddy]

I know where you are coming from. Recidivism is very high and there is high correlation between age and recidivism. One of issues with the yellow ribbon projects is that they don't train potential employers in interview skills and they don't release the subject's antecedents. .............

At times it is a gamble

The Govt can do more by educating the public.

Agree with you Bro Scroobal...

 

[mako65]

It's good to help those ex-cons to turn over a new leaf but some institutions like hospitals and banks don't welcome them at all as it's too risky to hire them! Govt will categorize each ex-con under the yellow ribbon project for the job distribution...obviously u don't put a child molester as a janitor in a all girls' school! Hahaha...tat will be a unforgiven mistake!

 

[scroobal]

This is where western countries do a better job. You can't work with children unless you undergo state vetting.

It's good to help those ex-cons to turn over a new leaf but some institutions like hospitals and banks don't welcome them at all as it's too risky to hire them! Govt will categorize each ex-con under the yellow ribbon project for the job distribution...obviously u don't put a child molester as a janitor in a all girls' school! Hahaha...tat will be a unforgiven mistake!

 

[kingrant]

The PAP govt can claim a lot of firsts but in this area of rehabs education and employer coord, as with press freedom, they belong to the bottom of the heap.

 

[HedgeTrader]

Sometime think Sg damn doopid. Build one prison near airport and one prison in middle of HDB estate KNN