FROM PARLIAMENT TO PRISON: Iswaran's fall from grace

The fall from grace of S. Iswaran was spectacular from a private plane ride and plush hotel room at the Four Seasons to a prison van and a straw mat for a bed in a single-man jail cell.

- Andrew Wong

It marked the end of a career in public service that saw him rise through the ranks in the administrative service before his entry into politics in 1997.

Iswaran, 62, arrived at the State Courts on Oct 7 at about 3.30pm.

He was alone apart from a male relative who declined to be identified.

After handing over his identity card at Court 4A, he was led through a door used by convicts to the courthouse lock-up facility.

He was then moved to the basement carpark, where a Singapore Prison Service (SPS) van was waiting to take him to Changi Prison to serve out his 12-month sentence.

A spokesman for SPS told The Straits Times that all inmates, including Iswaran, will be subjected to the same treatment and rules.

Said the spokesman: "Upon admission, all inmates have their personal belongings collected and documented for safekeeping... they are searched for contraband, after which they are examined by a prison medical officer." SPS administers 14 institutions, as well as the Selarang Park Community Supervision Centre and Community Rehabilitation Centre.

They are grouped under three clusters - A, B and C, and the Community Corrections Command, which oversees community supervision and reintegration.

ST understands that Iswaran is likely to be locked up in cluster B, where most white-collar criminals are housed.

Inmates transferred from the courts to prison are screened by officers with dogs and strip-searched after their arrival. They are also required to don prison garb - a white T-shirt and blue shorts and are tagged with a wristband that holds their identification code.

SPS said inmates undergo a standard health screening to detect any existing medical conditions and a final X-ray screening before they pick up items such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, clothing, slippers, towel and plastic spoon for meals.