If you have spend any amount of time in the SAF as an Officer, you would have eventually visit most of the DBs in your formation. The main DB is Tanglin, and that is literally the worse place in Singapore. People tell me that Changi Prison is a picnic compared to Tanglin DB. The main difference is not only the facility, but the parade marches with back packs of rocks, etc. The whole objective is to make the detainees shagged and tired, so they don't have enough strength to plot escape or trouble. SOme of the MPs at Tanglin are real sadistic, and will whack the prisoners until they require medical attention. One of my friends was a medic there, and he used to see cases all the time. I remember one time, he told me there was a riot about to erupt at tanglin, and the senior NCO walked a trained attack German Shepherd in between the cells and dared anyone to come out. LOL. I have been there numerous times because SAF policy is for an officer to visit anyone in their unit at least once a month to check on their welfare. Most of the time we visit them to interview them about the location of missing equipment assigned to them. For example, I had to go in and ask a detainee who was in my unit where his tank helmet was. That was an expensive piece of equipment. he claimed he did not know where it was, but I think he probably sold it at sungei road or some place like that.
Other cases are not send to Tanglin, as those tend to be the most hardcore. But send to their formation DB which is usually located in camp associated with the formation. For example, 41 SAR had a DB outside the camp, where Armour detainees can be send. And this DB also contained JWs. They are always wearing white shirt with blue shorts and slippers. They are to grow vegetables for the cookhouse. But from what i can see, its a hard life too, they are out in the sun the whole day with the chungkol. Some of the MPs tell me they are always running into snakes when they clear the brush.
A lot of comments here on this thread about how detainees deserve to be in DB, and they must be guilty of some things. I can honestly tell you that 50% of the DB detainees are there for offences that are not jailable or prosecutable in the outside civilian world. Because my unit has a large orbat of vehicles, and they are always on the road, accidents happen all the time. I know one case where I defended a LCP who drove a 3-tonner out of camp. At that time 41 SAR had a narrow road in Lim Chu Kang going into the camp and he langared a speeding civilian car driven by armour personnel booking back into camp. So, he got charged. when I did the accident investigation, i ascertain the fault to be 50-50. But in those days, the SAF policy is that if a SAF vehicle got into an accident with a civilian car, no matter who is at fault, the SAF driver will get charged and go to DB. For how long, is dependent on the court martial. Even though in this case, the civilian driver who know the 3 tonner driver as they were in the same unit, did not want to see that guy go to DB, its not up to him. In the end, he ended up in DB. Quite unjustified in his case. I also know of another case where a SAF ambulance was on the way to Alexandria hospital with a casualty from Area D. Even though the ambulance had its siren and lights on, a woman driver in a car did not give him way and crashed into the ambulance in the intersection. the woman was 100% at fault, but the driver was court martialled and went to DB. So, I would cut these detainees some slack. yes, some are SS and some are degenerate criminals, but many are just ordinary guys that are screwed by the system.
