Guy Sara

At the end of 2018 there were about 8,000 prisoners in Queensland. About thirty percent (30%) of these prisoners are sentenced for illicit drugs offences. The recidivism rate is fifty percent (50%). The Singapore Prison Service (SPS) 2018 Annual Report notes there were 7, 892 prisoners. Seventy six percent (76%) of these prisoners are sentenced for illicit drugs offences. The recidivism rate is twenty four percent (24%) (forty four percent (44%) in 1998). (Annual executions are negligible at about 11 prisoners). Therefore, the comparison arises between the differences between the Singaporean and Queensland illicit drug rehabilitation strategies and whether any of these differences can be successfully deployed in Queensland.

Diminishing illicit drug related obviously has a positive social and economic impact for Queensland, and wider Australia. The illicit drug related recidivism rate in the QPS is twice that of the SPS. The Queensland Government will need to build 4,200 additional cells by 2025 at a cost of $3.6 Billion, unless more successful methods of reducing illicit drug related recidivism are employed. It is anticipated that the demand for additional QPS cells, and thereby significant capital expenture, could be reduced by this proposed research. The benefit for society may be a reduction in crime rates, and more effective rehabilitation for the offenders. Most drug rehabilitation literature is from a medical perspective, and very little dedicated research from a criminological / legal practitioner perspective has been done. It is proposed that this research could fill that gap. It is anticipated that differences between Singaporean and Queensland/Australian cultural factors will explain impact on the success of different approaches

Singapore Prison Service

Queensland Corrective Services