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.
Denne historien er fra August 22, 2024-utgaven av The Straits Times.
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Denne historien er fra August 22, 2024-utgaven av The Straits Times.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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