Tom Booth\/CNN<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Singapore\u2019s Changi Prison Complex is a walled compound of guard towers and imposing gates built in the shadow of the country\u2019s main airport. <\/p>\n
More than 10,000 prisoners are held here, and according to the prison\u2019s latest annual report, most are serving time for drug offenses. <\/p>\n
A network of security cameras mounted inside and outside individual cells and even over toilets allow just five guards to monitor the entire floor. <\/p>\n
At mealtimes, the metallic clang of shutting gates echoes through the cell block, as a prisoner distributes meal trays through a ground-level hatch at the bottom of each cell door. <\/p>\n
His single-occupancy cell is austere, measuring just 7 square meters (75 square feet), with a squat toilet beneath a shower. Inmates are not allowed to have furniture, so there\u2019s no bed or anything to sit on. <\/p>\n
It is also steam-bath hot year-round in Singapore\u2019s tropical climate, where maximum daily temperatures regularly rise above 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit). <\/p>\n
The effect of extreme heat on prisoners has become more of a concern around the world as temperatures rise due to climate change. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou will notice that there aren\u2019t any fans or aircon,\u201d Matthew explains. \u201cThere are some periods of time where it\u2019s unbearable.\u201d <\/p>\n
Asked whether the threat of the death penalty had any deterrent effect on his drug dealing, Matthew says, \u201cI would like to say yes.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cBut the truth is at that point in time I wasn\u2019t thinking about it. In fact, I was actively avoiding the whole issue of consequences.\u201d <\/p>\n
The prison\u2019s deliberately harsh conditions contrast sharply with abundant emotional wellness messaging in the facility\u2019s common areas. <\/p>\n
The workshop, where prisoners pack anti-dandruff shampoo and instant coffee for a small salary, is plastered with motivational quotes from luminaries such as Steve Jobs and Nelson Mandela. <\/p>\n
Cartoon characters and photos of waterfalls decorate classrooms where prisoners get lessons in anger management and job training. <\/p>\n
Officials from the Singapore Prison Service say they encourage guards to think of themselves as \u201cCaptains of Life,\u201d helping rehabilitate the prison population. <\/p>\n
From an air-conditioned room known as \u201cthe fish tank,\u201d they monitor inmates on live feeds from dozens of security cameras positioned around the prison. <\/p>\n
Reuben Leong, the officer in charge of the correctional unit, says the job is not without risk. Violent incidents \u2013 usually fights between inmates \u2013 take place every few weeks, he says. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere will be periods of time where they can be demanding, they can be rude, they can be hostile to you,\u201d he adds. <\/p>\n
The Yellow Ribbon Project is a government program aimed at rehabilitating former convicts, with job placement and community engagement. <\/p>\n
Despite these efforts, Singaporean officials say roughly one in five former prisoners will likely end up back <\/strong>behind bars within two years. By comparison, one in three return to prison within two years in the United States, which has some of the highest recidivism rates in the world. <\/p>\n Meanwhile, there is no rehabilitation for death row inmates. <\/p>\n
Singapore executed 11 prisoners by hanging in 2022, and five last year, according to the latest figures. All were convicted of drug charges. <\/p>\n
Outside the prison walls, relatives of death row inmates hold an agonizing vigil awaiting the fate of their loved ones. <\/p>\n
Halinda binte Ismail has a shock of bleach blond hair and sports a small stud in her left nostril. <\/p>\n
By her count, the 61-year-old has been in prison at least seven times, always for drugs. Halinda says she was just 12 when she first smoked heroin. <\/p>\n