My life experience in Changi Prison (Cluster B)

[HokkienPeng]

Originally Posted by Gara

Thanks bro.. I will be glad if you can share with me and the rest those experiences you went through. Definately will be more convicing for the young ones not to commit anything stupid.

I will never type. Too long and too many stories. From Pp (president's pardon) to super long PD (preventive detention) of more than 30 yrs all I've seen.

Also the condemned prisoners and the hang man. The book of death also seen before which not many staff, let alone inmates can see. I better not reveal too much or the PD can know who am I.

Even when doing tea room duty for a year. Meet all the staff from how lian sgt to super high flyer DSp. Been there, done that.

Maybe we can discuss thru pm.

[Gara]

Originally Posted by HokkienPeng

I will never type. Too long and too many stories. From Pp (president's pardon) to super long PD (preventive detention) of more than 30 yrs all I've seen.

Also the condemned prisoners and the hang man. The book of death also seen before which not many staff, let alone inmates can see. I better not reveal too much or the PD can know who am I.

Even when doing tea room duty for a year. Meet all the staff from how lian sgt to super high flyer DSp. Been there, done that.

Maybe we can discuss thru pm.

Thanks bro.. Will be waiting for your pm. My encounters are just small fly compared to yours. Even in there, I never got the chance to meet and speak with those 'GRADE A' super long term inmates which are lockup in Cluster A. Will be glad if got the chance to know and learn more from you about your experience..

[Cerberus]

Originally Posted by HokkienPeng

Yellow ribbon is pure bs from the party against people. When I declared I was ex offender, I never seem to get the job even when I'm more than qualified. When I don't declare, I got it. Even gov agencies don't employ ex offenders so why should the sme and mnc follow?

Mind you, my case was not sex related, ah long, steal money etc. And yet got turned down.

As long you sit inside before, they will turn you down. Ask you go back home n they will contact you if successful. 101% no call.

Now worse, they rather employ FTs.

Those FTs, maybe some had been to jail before inside their own country....do they bother to check?

[Cerberus]

Originally Posted by Gara

Thanks bro.. Will be waiting for your pm. My encounters are just small fly compared to yours. Even in there, I never got the chance to meet and speak with those 'GRADE A' super long term inmates which are lockup in Cluster A. Will be glad if got the chance to know and learn more from you about your experience..

Glad you share your story.

No experience is too small.

"If what you experienced doesn't kill you, it will make you stronger."

Maybe when you are 80 or 90 plus.....sitting on the grandpa chair.....waiting for the grim reaper to take you.....you will look back on this small experience with a smile.

[Gara]

My last 2 days of lock-up at Cluster B2

<Arrival of next day> The lights from our ceiling are switch on at 5am and the water supply are on again.

(Note: Water supply are off during mustercheck and lights off 9pm - 5am)

As usual, we wake up and do whatever we need to do.. Mustercheck at 7am, breakfast served after mustercheck, cleaning of floor in our cell room, keep walking around in our cell room . Time pass slowly as expected. Soon after the mustercheck at 9am, there are announcements from the intel system next to our cell door and within minutes, our cell door open suddenly. 'Lets go for a hair cut,' told me by 5XX3. Without asking much, I wear my slipper and follow my room mates out from our cell room.

Finally I can step out of the cellroom that have trapped me for the past 40+ hours. We are not alone.. All other inmates from all cell room in the same storey are out as well. Officers and cookies had already standby outside the cellrooms, gather all of us and ordering us to sit down in rows of five at the open space located just outside our cell room. A head count was done by the cookies and a briefing was then made to us by one of the officer. "We are going to yard area for our hair cut"

Escorted by the officer-in-charge, we head to to the yard area (within the same building) in a single line, with our hands at the back while we are walking. We reach within minutes but before we can enter the yard area, turn by turn, we have to stripe ourself in front of a officer, with our hands on the air, mouth opened wide with our tongue out, make a squat-down and up, then turn our body with our back facing the officer and squat-down and up again before we enter the yard.

Yard is the indoor area where inmates exercise. Unlike what you seen on movies and drama, yard in CPC is indoor with only 1 entrance/exit and fully surronded by solid walls with tiny rectangle holes through the walls. As usual, we can hardly see the outside world through those tiny holes. Now, turn by turn we will get out hair cut done in the yard by the cookies!

Notes: Inmate serving sentence more than 1 month will cut botak (Trimmer No.1)
Inmate serving sentence less than i month will only need to trim short (Trimmer No.3)

After haircut, we got to stripe for checking again before we head back to our cellroom. We were back to our cellroom about 11am (estimated). We shower and get ready for the mustercheck at 12pm. Lunch are served thereafter.
Lunch menu of the day: Fried mee hoon with a full pcs of fishcake)

We were out from our cell room again soon after our lunch. This time we are to head to officer's office for interviews/ declaration and photo-taking of our tatoos/ family & personnal problems faced outside). As usual, we are to stripe ourselves for checking before we can proceed.

Everything's completed and we were back to our cell room about 4+pm. Soon dinner are served to us at 5pm.
Menu: Plain rice, sardin and side veg

Neverless to say, we did everything same again, after dinner, cleaning, then walk around in the cellroom and shower after the 7pm muster check. Lights off at 9pm.

That's how we've spent the whole 2nd day at B2.

-------------

<The Next Day>As usual, we woke up at 5am, mustercheck 7am then breakfast. After the 9am mustercheck, we were informed by the intel system to pack our barang barang and get ready for transfer. Soon, the cell door opened by itself and all the inmates from the same storey were gathered, headcount by officer, then we proceed. Stepping out our dayroom, we returned all our barang barang to the cookies. We were stripe later for checking, then we proceed to another destination escorted by officers. This time is different, we need to go through numbers of sercuity doors and taking staircases. Its like a maze in CPC!

(Note: No keys are used by the officers for opening doors, its operated through their electronic sercuity system by the Ops Room)

Soon, we were led to and walk through a underground passage and our journey took us about 15 minutes to reach the next destination - Cluster B4

-----------------------------

Thoughout my experience of the past 3 days stay at B2, I would like to share these with you readers:

a) Get mentally prepare to stripe for checking whenever you leave from your cell room to another destination

b) Cluster B2 (Inmates assumed as former Queenstown Prison Remand Center), is a 'Transit Terminal' for remand inmates and new comers (Will get transfer to another cluster within a few days once ready).

c) No yard nor dayroom activities for the new-comers before transfer

d) For those who are facing court case and expecting to go CPC soon.... do not be too afraid. Just follow the rules....

1. Do not commit any crimes inside prison.
2. Do not get into fight
3. Do not smoke if other cell mate managed to smuggle ciggarettes into prison
4. Respect each other in the cell. do not be afraid of those with tatoos.

Those with tatoos are usually not 1st timer. they are the ones who "knows how to sit" in jail. Usually, they are very considerate and corporative.

Sometimes, those 1st timer are the in-considerate ones inside the small cell

e) Blame no one, those incarcerated are responsible for their actions. Every adult is responsible to themselves and to those who depend on them. It is all water already flowed across the bridge and now it is too late to regret. The best course of action is to plan for the future and not look back as what had been done cannot be undone.

If you think you are suffering, remember that there are always people worse off. Don't pity yourselves for being where you are or had to go through but take the courage to pick up your lives and start again. You need to be positive for everything is possible if you put your mind to it.

Why people like you and your cellmates are where you are, was due probably to character flaws. Everybody has some weaknesses but not to the extent of breaking the law.

The sun always shines after the rain. I wish you well and hope you succeed in life.

f) If you intend to go and experience prison life, I can assured you that its not gonna be a pleasant experience even thought its for a day or a week and even without a record but for sheer experience.

You will be stressed and your loved ones will be constantly on your mind especially in the early part of your sentence. When your sentence is ending, you will start to think about your loved ones and your future when you are released.

Serving time is not the biggest issue, its the mental torture of losing one's freedom and thinking of your loved ones and the unchartered journey ahead upon one's release.

If you want to experienced prison life for curiosity, you can do it at home.

Locked yourself in your room for a couple of days, no TV, internet, aircon, communication with the outside World. Cover all your windows with curtains, sleep on the hard floor, etc.

----------------(To Be Continue)----------------------

[zinc88]

Bro, thanks for your contribution.. I had been caught by CAb under section 468-224 on 11 aug2011.. My case: cheat my company 74k plus.. But later confess to the company.. I return back all the $ & they agree not to report to police..but after 2 month after they terminate me.. They reported to police.. Any kind soul can help if for this type of case .. How long is the sentence?? Thanks!!!

[HokkienPeng]

Originally Posted by Cerberus

As long you sit inside before, they will turn you down. Ask you go back home n they will contact you if successful. 101% no call.

Now worse, they rather employ FTs.

Those FTs, maybe some had been to jail before inside their own country....do they bother to check?

So fucking true my friend. I experience that first hand. I never ask for higher pay or what. Just the market rate but what I can give is loyalty for being given a second chance.

Then again, they don't appreciate and few months down the road advertise in papers and even called me. I ask them go fly kite.

[Gara]

Originally Posted by zinc88

Bro, thanks for your contribution.. I had been caught by CAb under section 468-224 on 11 aug2011.. My case: cheat my company 74k plus.. But later confess to the company.. I return back all the $ & they agree not to report to police..but after 2 month after they terminate me.. They reported to police.. Any kind soul can help if for this type of case .. How long is the sentence?? Thanks!!!

So you went for ya statement yet? You face how many charges?

[zinc88]

Originally Posted by Gara

So you went for ya statement yet? You face how many charges?

Bro, statement was done on 11aug charges dunno yet.. Report back to cantoment on 24 aug..

[Gara]

Originally Posted by zinc88

Bro, statement was done on 11aug charges dunno yet.. Report back to cantoment on 24 aug..

Like that hah.. Then maybe still got months to go.. You going to plead guilty or hire lawyer? wanna share ya case to me through pm?

[cucujiao]

Originally Posted by zinc88

Bro, statement was done on 11aug charges dunno yet.. Report back to cantoment on 24 aug..

You should have consulted a lawyer before you pay back the money. It's likely that you have also given a positive statement to the police inculpating yourself. Be prepared to serve time. The problem here is the police never inform you of your rights before they asked for your statement. There's a Recent High Court case on this. And it's likely to be tested again in a recent murder case coming up for trial. What you need now is a lawyer.

[blohsg]

Welcome back Gara

Good to hear your life experiences again ... what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger ... All the best Bro !

zinc88 : good luck bro ...

[alvin36]

bro gara,

can shower inside the cell ??
means can shower anytime ??

I remember in old QRP or AWP.... there is no such thing as shower inside cell.

QRP is fucking hot inside the cell.... and shower only in morning during yard time.

[casperang]

Originally Posted by zinc88

Bro, thanks for your contribution.. I had been caught by CAb under section 468-224 on 11 aug2011.. My case: cheat my company 74k plus.. But later confess to the company.. I return back all the $ & they agree not to report to police..but after 2 month after they terminate me.. They reported to police.. Any kind soul can help if for this type of case .. How long is the sentence?? Thanks!!!

bro, mind if u pm me ? maybe i can explain and guide you on this ... prolly will be useful for u before u go to cantonment on the 24 aug .. =) thanks

[alan0338]

Originally Posted by alvin36

I remember in old QRP or AWP.... there is no such thing as shower inside cell.

QRP is fucking hot inside the cell.... and shower only in morning during yard time.

old qrp many ppl shower leh, squat on top of the toilet bowl and shower sneakily, but i remember the best is those old birds can make hangers and hang clothes in the cell comando style of survival

furthermore, if the weather is too hot, we will wash the floor and use 2 shirts ( need to sacrifice ) to dry the water, after tat the floor will be clean and cool, then old bird will say, ho say liao, tonyt we have air con ....