‘I felt sad and happy': Dads in prison reconnect with children through surprise video and letters

Aziz (not his real name), an inmate in Selarang Park Complex, covers his face after getting emotional from reading Father's Day letters on June 12. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
'I felt sad and happy': Dads in prison reconnect with children through surprise video and letters
SINGAPORE - Watching his teenage daughter and wife recall fond memories of their time together on video brought tears to Aziz's (not his real name) eyes.
'I felt sad and really happy at the same time,' said the 36-year-old father who is serving his one-year sentence for drug consumption at Selarang Park Complex in Upper Changi.
On June 12, Aziz and nine other incarcerated fathers were able to celebrate Father's Day because of a surprise planned by the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) and Centre for Fathering.
In the lead up to the event, the inmates' 25 children recorded heartfelt video messages expressing their longing and support for their fathers. They also wrote Father's Day cards to accompany the video messages.
During the session, a video compilation was shown to the inmates, many of whom were moved to tears upon seeing and hearing their children on screen.
The inmates were then guided to reflect and share their emotions in the group before writing letters to their children.
'All these negative thoughts in me made me feel like a hopeless father. But they actually told me that I'm a great role model,' said Aziz, who has four children aged three to 16. His wife is a pre-school teacher.
The event took place within Institution S1 at the Selerang Park Complex in Upper Changi, which houses about 500 male first- and second-time drug abusers. It aims to help incarcerated fathers rebuild and sustain family ties by reaffirming their vital role as fathers, despite being behind bars.
'What we wanted to do is (close) the gap caused by incarceration and create opportunities for messages of love, care and concern to flow between both parties,' said Superintendent Justin Paul Vikneswaran, who heads the Community Partnership and Family Policy Branch under the Rehabilitation and Reintegration Division of SPS.
SPS has been working with non-profit organisation Centre for Fathering to offer family programmes for incarcerated families. Among these is the ICAN Fathering Workshop, a six-hour programme, focused on raising awareness about the vital role fathers play in their children's lives.
The 10 fathers who attended the June 12 event were selected from those who joined the ICAN Fathering Workshop.
The event was made possible with the support of 45-year-old Bramsha Osman , chairman of the Volunteer Prison Committee.
Aziz (not his real name) opening his Father's Day cards.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
Despite working full-time as an engineer at the national water agency PUB, Mr Bramsha took the initiative to visit inmates' families and encourage them to take part in the event.
'I'm a father of five, and all fathers go through the same struggle. So I understand from (the prisoners') point of view that they feel, being inside prison, there is no connection they can build (with their children).
'I don't mind taking leave (to help out at events) because I know that this will impact the inmates and make them a better father,' said Mr Bramsha, who had previously turned down a role as a counsellor in the prison because he wanted to maintain contact with the fathers after their release.
'I believe the first six months to year (after their release) is very crucial. This is the part where they see the real world, and they will definitely go through some struggles,' he said. 'They need someone to give them hope... and I want to be the comfortable person they can rely on during this phase.'
Another father who was moved by the video messages from his children was Aarav (not his real name), who is serving an 18-month sentence for drug abuse.
Aarav (not his real name) was moved by the video messages from his children.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
'I felt very, very sad,' said the 45-year-old father of two. 'As a single father, it's not easy having that on your mind. I really miss my kids and their hugs.'
'Even though I'm in prison, as a father, I'm putting in a lot of effort, no matter what, to send them some letters and give them some advice and also give them some positive thoughts,' Aarav added.
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