My community legal clinics from time to time bring me face to face with persons, who have just been released from our prisons.
These persons are often eager to start their lives on a new page, and to make a difference for themselves and their families. In pursuing this, they are willing to look into the many opportunities that are available to them.
Quite often, these opportunities are limited and society attaches a negative stereotype to such persons. Over time, these persons lose that passion they once had to turn a new leaf, and risk re-offending only to have face our criminal legal system.
This is really unfortunate because there is something we can do about it. It is also sad because a lot of these person have dependants, such as spouses, children and even old parents, who will all have to suffer. Most will lose the capacity to pay their household bills, others will not be able to go to school, and a few such families may end up having to go hungry.
For this reason, the Yellow Ribbon Project is something I value. The purpose of this project is to check this trend of re-offending and to combat stereotypes attached to ex-offenders. And every year, I do something to show my support for this cause. This year is no different.
September is Yellow Ribbon month. Visit the Yellow Ribbon website to find out more about how you can make a difference!
Happiness,
Dharmendra Yadav
Please consider the environment - do you really need to print this?
2 comments:
Singapore has one of the world's highest incarceration rates. Maybe the gahmen should worry more about why so many citizens in this supposedly 'well behaved' island end up in jail instead of conducting sappy PR exercises like the Yellow Ribbon Project. Its obvious floggings and executions aren't deterring crime.
I'm not saying crimes should go unpunished but we could do so much more to stop people getting into criminality in the first place. This is a far better solution.
Firstly, I would like to thank the blogger for supporting the Yellow Ribbon Cause.
I think Singapore's incarceration rate is low as compared to US where they have around 2million people in JAIL?
In 2007, PM Lee graced the Yellow Ribbon Walk and said: "If people offended and they are been punished, they took the punishment and willing to change, we should give them the opportunity." We are taking rehabilitation and reintegration very serious nowadays and do continue to support our cause. For your support, their strength to change.
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