Opening the digital door to life after prison release

Watch: Life in Singapore Prisons with digital access

Hear from inmate Danial (not his real name), his prison officer Assistant Superintendent of Prisons (ASP) Ponna, and Service Ambassador Ms Chan on how digital access is helping inmates build a stronger foundation for life after release.

Thumbnail for Video shows how Project AIDE provides inmates secure Singpass access to plan for housing, finances, and skills before release

The challenge: Planning a future without digital access

Institution S2 serves as a reintegration hub for inmates in the weeks before they enter community-based programmes. The focus is on helping them prepare for life outside prison, and that preparation has increasingly become digital.

Without their phones or personal devices, inmates could not independently check on the matters that shape a successful return, such as CPF savings, government benefits, housing applications, or course availability.

As ASP Ponna, a team leader at Institution S2, explains: "When they are in prison, the biggest challenge we have is that there are a lot of plans they would want to do."

A successful return to society often depends on being able to act on those plans. And that starts with secure access to digital services.

Project AIDE: Singpass as the key to reintegration

Project AIDE was launched as a pilot at Institution S2's Resource Centre in September 2024.

Project AIDE began as a trial at Institution S2's Career Resource Centre in September 2024, giving inmates supervised access to 14 selected government websites through Singpass.

Those services cover many of the practical areas that inmates need to smoothen their reintegration into the community, including CPF, housing, courses, employment, healthcare, and social support matters. Supporting the programme is a dedicated Service Ambassador from ServiceSG, who helps inmates with Singpass account recovery, password resets, and navigating government services. As inmates don’t have access to a phone, Singpass uses face verification as the second authentication factor, allowing secure access without requiring a personal device.

Service Ambassador Ms Chan How Lee describes the idea simply. "In order to access these government websites, you need two things: your Singpass ID and your Singpass password," she says. "Singpass is actually like a key to any of the websites they wish to access." To get that assistance right, Singapore Prison Service worked with ServiceSG to train her in government services, and to address the questions inmates most commonly ask.

Together, the Singapore Prison Service, ServiceSG, and GovTech have adapted existing national digital services to meet the unique needs of the prison environment, making essential services accessible even where traditional login methods are not possible.

From digital access to new opportunities

For Danial, using government digital services was unfamiliar at first. "I don't really know how to operate these digital things," he says. "But they guided me. They show me how to access certain apps."

With that support, he has been reviewing his SkillsFuture credits, checking government vouchers, and exploring courses that could help him build new skills after release.

Project AIDE also gives inmates access to MyInfo, allowing them to pre-fill online forms with verified personal data. Whether applying for courses or government services, this removes friction from the application process and makes it easier to take the next step.

Sometimes the most powerful moment is simply seeing what’s already there. Ms Chan recalls one inmate who logged into his CPF account after years and realised how much savings he had. "He realised that if he continues to work, his savings will grow, and he was very, very motivated," she shared. "He said, 'I must continue to work.'"

For many participants, seeing their savings, benefits, or training opportunities becomes a powerful reminder that they have something to build towards.

GovTech's role in supporting reintegration

Project AIDE demonstrates how national digital platforms can be adapted to support citizens through different life circumstances, in line with GovTech’s effort to build the infrastructure that Singapore needs.

At its core is Singpass, which provides secure digital identity, while MyInfo enables inmates to access verified personal information and complete transactions more easily. Face verification makes secure authentication possible even in an environment where mobile phones are not permitted.

Project AIDE is a reminder that digital government works best when it is designed to be inclusive, meeting citizens where they are, and removing barriers to accessing essential services. It also offers a glimpse into how the everyday services you depend on are built, secured, and continuously improved by GovTech.

Preparing before the gate opens

For ASP Ponna, the biggest change is not just that inmates can access government services, but that they can make better-informed plans before release. "With Project AIDE, inmates gain access to the digital world, enabling them to navigate websites and better plan their goals and address pending matters that need to be resolved when they return to the community." she says.

She has seen how that preparation has changed Danial. Early conversations were about day-to-day stability and immediate needs. Today, they center on finding stable employment, upgrading his skills, and rebuilding relationships with his family.

"During this period, I've seen Danial grow so much," she says. "He shared about having unstable employment, because it is one of the critical things that made him come back into the system. So he understands the need to secure it even before he's emplaced."

Since this trial began, more than 200 inmates have benefited from Project AIDE.

Beyond the logins and the services, what Project AIDE really gives many inmates is a clear picture of the life waiting for them outside. For Danial, that clarity is tied to the people he wants to come home to. "When I go out, I need to go for the course, and then I need to work. I also need to upgrade myself," he says. "I want to do something that my family will be proud of."

Reflecting on the years he missed with his children, he adds: "All the while my children grew up, I wasn't there for them. I want to make sure this time I will be there." He repeats something his daughter told him, almost as a promise to himself: "Action is sharper than words. It's hard for me to change, but I will change."

Ms Chan sees the weight of it from the other side. "This access to Singpass and digital services, which seems normal to most of us, actually means a lot to them," she says.

A window into life after release

ASP Ponna shares her hope for Danial. "I hope this gives him the courage, because he's better prepared compared to the previous time, and I think they are always taking one step forward to the change."

That is what Project AIDE is really about. In the weeks before release, regaining a Singpass login gives these inmates a window into what their future can look like, and a way to start shaping it before they walk out the gate.

More broadly, this reflects GovTech's vision of building digital services that work for every citizen, including those navigating some of life's most challenging circumstances. When digital services are designed to be accessible, adaptable, and inclusive, they create better outcomes not just for individuals, but for society as a whole.

Watch Episode 3 of Stories of GovTech (opens in new tab) to follow Danial, ASP Ponna, and Ms Chan's journey.

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