Psychology Based Correctional Programmes (PCPs)

Learn how PCPs support inmates' rehabilitation by addressing offending behaviours, emotional management and pro-social thinking skills.

Last updated on 6 October 2026

A psychologist in a pink blouse stands at the front of a meeting room, speaking and gesturing to a seated group. Behind her, a whiteboard displays a diagram linking “Situation”, “Feelings”, “Thoughts” and “Behaviour”. Participants in the foreground take notes beside an open laptop.

Singapore Prison Service provides a range of Psychology Based Correctional Programmes (PCPs) for inmates under our care. These programmes are psychology-based and aims to:

Strengthen inmates’ motivation for positive change
Address thinking patterns associated with their offending behaviour

PCPs also provide opportunities for inmates to practice and enhance their ability to communicate with others and manage their emotions, so that they can work towards a life free from drugs and crime.

The development of our psychology-based correctional programmes (PCPs) are guided by:

Research on the needs of our inmates
Established rehabilitation frameworks
Best practices from overseas correctional programmes

PCPs are informed by established rehabilitation models and approaches, including:

Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) model
Good Lives Model (GLM)
Desistance Approach

Relevant intervention strategies are also incorporated into PCPs to address the specific rehabilitation needs of different inmate populations such as women and youth.

General Offending Programmes

Develop skills to solve problems
Develop plans to achieve their goals and values to desist from crime
Identify and dispute unhelpful thinking patterns that led to their crimes

Drug Offending Programmes

Develop skills to manage their emotions
Develop plans to manage their slips and relapses
Form new pro-social habits, in replacement of their habit of using drugs
Identify and dispute unhelpful thinking patterns that led to their abuse of drugs

Youth Offending Programmes

Explore their motivation, values, goals and identities to achieve positive youth development
Improve problem-solving, interpersonal and relational skills
Develop skills to resist anti-social peer influence
Build skills to manage their unhelpful emotions
Identify and dispute unhelpful thinking patterns that led to misconduct
Develop post-release plans for successful reintegration

Gender-Responsive Programmes

Build skills to manage their unhelpful emotions
Develop their pro-social identity by encouraging and affirming them
Build healthy relationships with significant others to develop their support network
Identify and dispute unhelpful thinking patterns that led to their offending behaviours

Violent Offending Programmes

Identify and dispute unhelpful thinking patterns that led them to violence
Develop skills to manage their emotions
Develop pro-social conflict resolution and communication skills
Develop relapse prevention plans for their violent offending

Sexual Offending Programmes

Address issues related to self-esteem, shame and guilt
Identify and dispute unhelpful thinking patterns that led them to sexual offending
Develop healthy emotional and sexual self-regulation skills
Improve problem-solving, interpersonal and relational skills
Increase empathy towards victims and others
Develop relapse prevention plans for their sexual offending