NCJ Number
131296
Journal
CJ International Volume: 7 Issue: 2 Dated: (March-April 1991) Pages: 11-18
Date Published
1991
Length
8 pages
Annotation
A former British colony, Singapore became self-governing in 1959 and an independent republic in 1965. Since 1959, Singapore's political system has been dominated by the People's Action Party (PAP).
Abstract
Singapore has four official languages -- Chinese, Malay, Tamil, and English. Its economy is better than that of most other Asian nations; 80 percent of the population owns homes. The prime minister has initiated a campaign to increase the birth rate among educated Chinese women to ensure the children as a continuing resource for the country. Singapore's governmental structure is based on English common law; the parliamentary system consists of an executive, legislature, and judiciary. Although the judicial system is similar to that of England, trial by jury has been completely abolished in Singapore. In addition, there are three special courts -- one to handle Muslim religious matters and two dealing with employer-employee relations. There are eight prisons in Singapore, housing inmates who are classified as young offenders, corrective trainees, and preventive detainees. The Prisons Department also handles the institutional treatment and rehabilitation of drug offenders. Despite the emphasis on rehabilitation in its prisons, Singapore has a strict penal code which has acted as a fairly effective deterrent even though the crime rate is rising in many areas of the country. The police in Singapore have evolved from a watchman style to a legalistic style to the present system of community-oriented policing. Unlike American police, the police in Singapore can detain prisoners without a trial and often prosecute cases that would be considered minor offenses in the U.S. These measures and harsh penalties seem to have kept the crime rate lower than that in other major world cities. 13 references