International Correctional Leadership Programme & Asian Prison Lockdown Challenge 2025

SINGAPORE, 22 SEPTEMBER 2025 – The 2nd International Correctional Leadership Programme (ICLP) and 7th Asian Prison Lockdown Challenge (APLC) were held in Singapore from 22 to 26 September 2025. Organised by the Singapore Prison Service (SPS), the ICLP and APLC are key platforms for correctional agencies across the Asia-Pacific region to come together to share best practices in correctional administration, tactical skills, and operational capabilities. More than 80 correctional officers from across 16 countries and jurisdictions participated in the ICLP and APLC this year.

International Correctional Leadership Programme (ICLP) 2025

2.              Building on the success of its inaugural run in 2023, the ICLP returned for its second run to foster networking and collaboration among the correctional leaders in the region.

3.              A total of 27 participants (22 international, five local) from 14 countries and jurisdictions participated in ICLP this year, an increase from the 21 participants from 12 countries and jurisdictions in the inaugural run. This year, first-time participants from Bangladesh, Kiribati, Malaysia, Philippines and Solomon Islands joined correctional leaders from Brunei, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Maldives, Nauru, Thailand, Vanuatu, and Singapore for the ICLP.

4.              Representatives from the SPS and the Yellow Ribbon Singapore shared with participants Singapore's correctional practices, including Singapore's rehabilitation and reintegration approach and efforts to maximise employability and career progression opportunities for inmates and ex-offenders. In addition, guest speakers from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Hong Kong Correctional Services Department, and Thailand Department of Corrections, shared their insights about evidence-informed policy development on prison management, community engagement strategies to support offenders' rehabilitation, and gender-responsive interventions for women inmates.

5.              The ICLP participants also had the opportunity to observe the APLC as well as visit prison facilities, Selarang Park Community Supervision Centre, and the Singapore Prison Training Institute.

6.              The ICLP concluded with a closing dinner on 25 September 2025, where Guest-of-Honour, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs, Sim Ann highlighted Singapore's transformational efforts in corrections and the value of sharing best practices amongst correctional leaders from different countries. The dinner reception also provided participants an opportunity to strengthen professional networks and reflect on the insights gained throughout the five-day programme.

Asian Prison Lockdown Challenge (APLC) 2025

7.              Organised by the SPS's elite Singapore Prisons Emergency Action Response Force (SPEAR) since 2010, the APLC is a biennial tactical, skills-based competition where specialist teams from regional correctional agencies come together to benchmark their tactical skills and bring home valuable insights to further enhance the safety and security of their prisons.

8.              APLC continues to generate strong interest among correctional services in the Asia-Pacific region with participants from Brunei, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia and South Korea taking part in APLC this year. A total of eight teams (including three teams from SPS) comprising 64 participants competed for top honours.

9.              A new female-only challenge “Specialist Challenge” was introduced to the APLC for the first time this year. The Specialist Challenge was designed for female participants to demonstrate their physical prowess, stamina, agility, and tactical excellence through a dynamic obstacle course. Through five intense tactical challenges – The Specialist Challenge, Sharpshooter Challenge, Team Obstacles Challenge, Operation Tech-Secure Challenge, and Rescue and Restore Challenge, participants took part in specially curated challenges that were designed to test participants' tactical competencies, push the limits of their physical and mental capabilities, and assess their ability to work effectively as a team in realistic correctional scenarios.

10.           The APLC participants also took part in workshops and tactical demonstrations by the SPS. Specialists from the SPS's Psychological and Correctional Rehabilitation Division shared strategies on building resilience and enhancing tactical readiness during high stress situations. SPEAR Force operators shared about SPS's use of force principles and options, showcased its non-lethal weaponry, and shared how SPS leveraged technology for SPEAR Force's training and operations.

SPEAR Force’s achievements in 2025

11.           The SPEAR Force has excelled in international competitions in 2025, demonstrating SPS's strong operational capabilities globally. At the Mock Prison Riot 2025 competition held in West Virginia, USA, involving 17 participating US prisons teams, SPEAR Force clinched first place in the "Hostage Rescue and Team Obstacle Course" category and secured the top five positions in the Super Swat Cop individual category. SPS was also invited to participate in Thailand's Prison Lockdown Challenge, competing alongside ten Thai teams. The eight-member Singapore team, comprising SPEAR Force operators and correctional unit officers, achieved first place in both the 'Search & Rescue' and 'Team Obstacle' categories. These achievements reflected SPEAR Force's high training standards and operational competence in the international corrections community.

12.           Commissioner of Prisons, Ms Shie Yong Lee, said, “SPS is privileged to be organising and hosting two international prison and correctional events, the APLC and ICLP this year, involving more than 60 international prison and correctional colleagues from 15 countries and jurisdictions in the Asia-Pacific region. In the APLC, prison specialists competed and showcased their tactical capabilities and operational excellence in managing challenging prison incidents, to keep prisons safe and secure. The ICLP brought together correctional leaders to share knowledge, challenges and innovations in corrections. SPS's participation in and hosting of these international exchanges reflects our commitment to do our part to advance effective corrections in the region through learning and collaborating together with our international colleagues.”