More staying away from crime after reformative training

Two-year recidivism rate for trainees fell from 28.8% in 2018 cohort to 16.3% in 2021 batch

- David Sun

When he was just three years old, his father died of a drug overdose.

Fai, not his real name, was then left in the care of his grandmother, with his mother seemingly having abandoned him, as she was never around.

The 19-year-old said that because of this, he grew up feeling empty and broken.

"I saw friends who have both their parents around, and I thought to myself if only I had that." Seeking solace, he ended up in bad company and, in March 2023, was involved in a case of rioting for which he was sentenced to reformative training, a strict regime of rehabilitation.

Reformative training seeks to turn young offenders around through counselling and regimented programmes that teach them skills to give them a second chance in life.

After serving their sentence at the Reformative Training Centre (RTC), trainees can re-enter the community under a supervision order.

Fai, who is still serving his sixmonth sentence, said he was initially worried about going to RTC, but the programme helped him to come to terms with his past.

Reformative training has proven to be effective for young offenders like Fai.