SINGAPORE: When Achik Ithnin, 70, was asked about his past as a prison warden, he reacted with some surprise.
“How do you know?” he replied, eyes narrowing behind silver-rimmed glasses and lips parting behind bushy moustache.
Mr Achik worked as a warden at the old Changi Prison from 1969 to 1979. Now he volunteers as a counsellor at the current Changi Prison. Seeming to explain his reluctance to speak about that period of his life, he said conditions then were very different.
But he did open up eventually.
The old prison had poor ventilation, he recalled, so it was warm and stuffy for everyone inside. There were no cameras, so wardens had to maintain a fierce physical presence to account for every inmate. The heavy cell doors had to be manually cranked, so Mr Achik got swollen hands from repeatedly manipulating them with his bare hands.
But perhaps the biggest difference was how prisoners were dealt with.
Then, some wardens got the job straight out of primary school, Mr Achik said, adding that many inmates were poorly educated too. “They were very stubborn; it was difficult for them to understand us,” he stated.
“We were very strict, very strict. The punishment was also very heavy.”
Mr Achik walking the prison grounds. (Photo: Jeremy Long)
In the quiet halls of the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) headquarters in Changi, Mr Achik’s voice grew softer as he described how he had to maintain discipline.
“To tell you the truth, last time I was very naughty,” he told CNA, stating that he “hammered” inmates. “I feel regret about that. I cannot accept what I had done. Actually, you’re not supposed to do that. You must help them and talk to them.”
After a decade in the job, Mr Achik decided he had had enough. He quit and vowed never to return. “I’m not happy with (the job),” he said. “When I resigned, I said I would never, never enter prison any more.”
NEVER SAY NEVER
Following that, Mr Achik worked as a technician with the former Public Utilities Board until he retired. Soon after, a friend asked if he would like to volunteer as a counsellor with the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association (SANA). He agreed.
In 2004, the association asked him to help out with counselling at the old Tampines Prison. While Mr Achik knew how to handle inmates, he admitted he was out of his depth when it came to counselling them. So the SPS put him through a three-month course, something he’s grateful for.
Mr Achik leading inmates in prayer. (Photo: Jeremy Long)
Mr Achik found that volunteering in prison was a way of giving back to the community and making amends for his past.
“The job is about how to support other people,” he said, noting that he felt good helping the inmates. “These people need help – their families, their parents, everything. That’s why I continue in this job.”
So when SANA asked him to help with counselling at the current Changi Prison because of a lack of manpower, he decided to return despite his vow.
Fifteen years on, he’s still volunteering there as a senior religious counsellor with SPS. Under the Family and Inmates Throughcare Assistance Haven programme, he counsels Muslim inmates six days a week. Mr Achik is a registered Quranic teacher.
He usually volunteers for two sessions a day from Tuesday to Sunday. The morning session runs from 9am to 11am. Lunch is provided by the prison, before an afternoon session from 2pm to 4pm. He also leads the Muslim inmates in the Friday prayers.
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Mr Achik said he gets anywhere between 10 and 35 inmates per session. Discussions can cover their character, behaviour and future. “It’s about how to build up their mind to think,” he said. “You cannot scold them or condemn them. Try your best to talk nicely to them.”
He believes that deep down, many of the inmates are good people and with the right approach, will listen to advice.
“I believe they can change,” he said. “But how do you help them? You don’t give up. Carry on. Keep an open heart, and be ready to listen to their problems. Try your best to help them solve their problems.”
KEEPING COOL
Still, Mr Achik conceded that the job is not for everyone. It is a job that requires commitment, patience and an ability to recognise when things are about to go south, he said.
“When you see an inmate who is very quiet – doesn’t want to talk, sits in one corner – you must be careful,” he said. “Inmates can scold you because they are under pressure. They can hammer their head on the seat, they can take the chair and (hit) you.”
Because of the challenges, Mr Achik said some volunteers could not last in the job, although he added that it was never supposed to be easy.
“You think you cannot handle the inmate, don’t blame the inmate,” he said. “You say these inmates are very stubborn, but is it the inmate or you? These people don’t want to be scolded. They need advice, then they are happy.”
Mr Achik teaches inmates how to apply good values in life. (Photo: Jeremy Long)
It does not mean that Mr Achik is soft on the inmates. He makes it a point to ensure that those who attend his session are disciplined. They should form neat rows, tuck their shirts in and be reminded of punishments for bad behaviour, like being stripped of their recreational privileges.
There are also guidelines for him to follow. Inmates who refuse to go for counselling cannot be forced. Counsellors should not react when they are provoked. And if inmates start to get aggressive, counsellors should immediately inform prison officers.
“Talk to them very softly,” Mr Achik said, referring to his gentle yet firm style of engagement. “Explain things to them nicely; the inmates can listen.”
Still, Mr Achik will raise his voice when needed.
“Don’t act based on emotions and fight your urges!” he cautioned in Malay to the 15 inmates seated in a row – some heavily built and tattooed – who attended one of his sessions at cluster A3 of Changi Prison.
“It cannot be that you stay in prison forever. It is my duty to help you.”
Inmates take note of important points. (Photo: Jeremy Long)
When an inmate dozed off, he walked up close to him and asked him to repeat what he had just learnt. “This is not school, this is prison,” he said as he strode purposefully across the multi-purpose room.
He is also eager for them to ask questions. He would approach someone who has a question, lower his head and listen attentively. He would ponder for a few moments in silence before answering.
SOLVING PROBLEMS
Several times during the interview with CNA, Mr Achik reiterated the importance of listening carefully to inmates’ problems and helping to solve them.
These could include making available different reading materials quickly to them. Mr Achik would explain why the request would take a bit of time. There is a prescribed approval process to follow and there could also be other inmates with requests ahead of them in the queue.
“If you want a Quran, you first get an endorsement,” he said, offering an example. “Where do you get the Quran? If it’s from the mosque, you have to get it from them. After that, you must bring it to the programme officer for endorsement.
“Hard covers must be torn off. The programme officer would have to hand it over to the inmate. You cannot do it by yourself. This is procedure. That means it takes time, at least one to two weeks.”
Mr Achik said inmates usually worry about the problems they are going to face once released (Photo: Jeremy Long)
Inmates would also share the problems they have outside the prison walls. Mr Achik has heard many: From an inmate whose wife demanded a divorce just before he was released, another who refused permission for his daughter to marry, to stories of loansharks waiting to harass inmates once they are released.
Mr Achik made it clear that counsellors like him are only authorised to handle internal prison matters. External issues should be referred to parties like the Syariah court or aftercare officers.
“Inmates inside the prison usually have no problem; everything is provided,” he said. “The problems come when the time comes for them to go out, (be it) jobs or having a place to stay.”
A view inside Changi Prison. (File photo: TODAY)
Mr Achik said he constantly advised inmates to think about themselves and their future when they return to society.
“Wake up and think,” he added, telling inmates that they should always go out with a trusted person and not stay idle and risk mixing with the wrong company. “Build up a new life. Don’t get involved in criminal activity.”
ROAD TO REHABILITATION
But some do re-offend, and he would see them again in his counselling sessions.
“Of course, I’ll be disappointed,” he said. “But I never give up. Give them the opportunity to change. Whatever it is, you cannot scold them. Sometimes they come in and cry. They regret it.”
Mr Achik said he tells re-offenders to “take the right path”. “You come to prison, you’re not troubling me; you’re troubling yourself,” he added. “I try to help you not trouble yourself.”
Inmates who show good behaviour can also take up jobs in prison, like being a cook or carpenter. (Photo: Jeremy Long)
He was also keen to share success stories of inmates who showed very good conduct taking on leadership roles in prison, like escorting other inmates.
He recalled one particular incident when he was assigned to an inmate who kept refusing to eat and didn’t change after attending sessions with other counsellors.
“You cannot be stubborn,” he remembered telling the inmate. “We are doing a good thing for you. If you don’t want to eat, you’ll trouble yourself and make yourself suffer. It’s an offence (to harm yourself).”
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After a few sessions with Mr Achik, the inmate’s attitude not only improved but he was able to maintain his good behaviour. “That’s why, if you explain nicely, the inmate can listen,” he said.
Mr Achik said some inmates have “become family” to him even after being released. “When inmates are happy with you, they are always looking for you,” he said.“Even when they are out, they look for you.”
NOBLE REWARDS
Beyond the satisfaction of seeing inmates turn over a new leaf, Mr Achik likes the job as it gives him something to do in his retirement. He leaves his Yishun flat at 8am every morning and rides his motorbike to the prison in Changi.
“You see, now I’m retired,” he said. “Early morning, I go out to prison. Evening, I go home and sleep with my wife. Then on Monday, I am off. I am happy. Every day I see inmates, inmates are also happy with me.”
Mr Achik’s message to the community is that helping prisoners reintegrate cannot be done “by one person”: “Make sure we believe that they can change.” (Photo: Jeremy Long)
But Mr Achik is careful not to bring his work back home with him.
“I never tell anything about the prison to my wife and children,” he added. “I never tell them about my counselling job. They also do not ask.”
Mr Achik has no plans to stop volunteering as long as he is healthy. He is also taking advanced religious courses to help with his counselling. In October, he received a long service award (gold) at an SPS ceremony for volunteers.
“The reward I get is not materialistic,” he stated, adding that he sees his work as a “noble” cause. “The reward is when I see inmates improve … when they get married, when they get a job. Then I’m very happy. That’s what encourages me to continue as a volunteer.”
