SINGAPORE: With a growing population of elderly inmates, the Singapore Prison Service is looking to prototype the first age-friendly prison cell here that are retrofitted with anti-slip floors, grab bars and hand rails, among other features.

Among those locked up, 418 were above 60 years of age last year, a shade below double that of the 217 in 2010. The overall inmate population has fallen 12.5 per cent from 11,154 to 9,754 over the period.

According to an invitation to tender posted on Government procurement website GeBiz, the toilet areas in 23 existing cells will be a focus of the proposed enhancements.

New water closets with huge push buttons and stainless steel grab-bars will be installed, while existing shower roses will be fitted with self-closing taps with large buttons. Grab bars and hand rails will also be mounted with tamper-resistant accessories.

The overall toilet area will also be enlarged, with sufficient space for portable commodes.

The tender, put up by the Ministry of Home Affairs on May 4, also specified that all nuts, screws and removable parts used must be concealed within the cell walls, and corners and edges of the installations must be rounded.

Interested parties have until May 29 to submit proposed designs and installation methods. Works will have to be completed within three months of the award of contract.

Responding to TODAY’s queries, Assistant Director of the Prisons’ Building Management department Adrian Lee said while the existing housing units cater to inmates’ basic needs, the proposed enhancements will better support elderly inmates and those with mobility issues.

“The Singapore Prison Service is committed to the safe and secure custody of all inmates ... while the number (of inmates relative to the total prison population) is relatively small, the Singapore Prison Service recognises that some elderly inmates may require additional facilities,” said Deputy Superintendent of Prisons Lee.

CONSISTENT WITH ELDERLY-FRIENDLY POLICIES: LAWYERS

Lawyers whom TODAY spoke to lauded the proposal as being consistent with elderly-friendly policies for the community-at-large.

Criminal lawyer Josephus Tan, from Fortis Law Corporation, said the enhancements will give a sense of assurance not only to seniors behind bars, but also to their family members.

“They can be assured that their loved ones are not going to a place that will lead to a detriment of their health ... This is a big step to ensuring that (the inmates’) personal comfort and well-being are taken care of,” he said.

Mr Tan, who pays weekly visits to his clients in the prisons, also suggested offering bunk beds and mattresses to senior inmates who are more prone to bone problems.

Some, like Mr Sunil Sudheesan, felt that enhancements must also extend to “software aspects”.

The associate director of Quahe Woo & Palmer urged the authorities to allow for more “age-appropriate sentences” and early release for senior inmates who have low risk of re-offending.

“Hardware enhancements are useful for sure, but there should be a spectrum of measures in place. I hope this is just a first step,” he said, while suggesting building dedicated facilities for offenders with mental health conditions.

Mr Steven Lam from Templars Law also said hardware enhancements must be accompanied by more rehabilitative sentencing policies. “I think society is moving towards a more humane way of treating the incarcerated. Just as we house more elderly-friendly community facilities, prisons should not be any different,” he said.

A graying prison population is not a phenomenon unique to Singapore. But other jurisdictions have gone far beyond infrastructure enhancements.

In England and Wales, those aged 60 and over are the fastest growing group of people put behind bars. The Care Act, a new legislation first implemented last month in England, seeks to enhance the local authority’s responsibility for adult social care of prisoners.

At a California prison, fellow inmates are roped in help care for prisoners with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia, assisting them with intimate tasks like showering and shaving.

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