Take-up Rate of Programmes run by FITRAH @ Masjid En-Naeem and Number of Community Befrienders Recruited
Ministry of Social and Family DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the take-up rate of FITRAH’s support programs for incarcerated Muslim individuals and the recruitment of community befrienders, as raised by Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin. Minister for Social and Family Development and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli B M M noted that 65% of Muslim inmates voluntarily attend in-care religious services and 611 referrals for various forms of assistance have been facilitated since 2019. The initiative utilizes a customized religious curriculum developed with psychologists to inculcate positive values and prepare inmates for life after incarceration. FITRAH has recruited 314 community befrienders, with 246 currently active in providing emotional support to facilitate the reintegration of ex-offenders and their families. Moving forward, FITRAH will collaborate with the Singapore Prison Service and M³@Towns to raise awareness and expand the reach of its community befriending initiatives.
Transcript
52 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for Social and Family Development and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (a) what is the take-up rate of programmes run by FITRAH @ Masjid En-Naeem in providing enhanced support services to incarcerated Muslim individuals and their families; and (b) what is the current number of community befrienders who have been recruited and are actively serving ex-offenders and their families.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The FITRAH programme (Family and Inmates Through-care Assistance Haven) provides holistic support for incarcerated individuals and their families, through its in-care and aftercare services.
To support incarcerated Muslim individuals, FITRAH develops a customised religious curriculum with its religious counsellors, in consultation with psychologists from the Singapore Prison Service (SPS). The curriculum inculcates positive values and prepares the ex-offenders for life after incarceration. The curriculum is delivered by a pool of religious counsellors through counselling sessions and Friday prayer sermons. About 65% of Muslim inmates attend FITRAH’s in-care religious services on a voluntary basis.
FITRAH has also worked with other community partners to help families of inmates and ex-offenders access different forms of assistance. Since its establishment in 2019, FITRAH facilitated 611 such referrals for employment support, financial and social assistance, befriending services, as well as Islamic learning. This includes the referrals from the joint home visits done by FITRAH community befrienders and the Yellow Ribbon Community Project (YRCP) volunteers, where they assess the various needs of the families. The beneficiaries have been referred to the Social Service Offices, Family Service Centres, as well as the M³ agencies for further assistance.
FITRAH has recruited 314 community befrienders, of which 246 are actively deployed to provide ex-offenders and their families with emotional support as they reintegrate back to society. FITRAH will continue to work with Singapore Prisons Service and the M³@Towns to raise awareness about the community befriending programme to benefit more eligible families.