Nora (not her real name) was convicted of drug use three years ago when her son was a year old.
The 32-year-old, whose son visits her in prison, said: "When he called me 'ibu' (Malay for mother), it was a touching moment. But when I asked if he wanted to stay with me, jokingly, he said he wanted to go with 'nenek' (his grandmother, Nora's mother-in-law). "
Nora, who is slated to be released next year, said she will do all she can to rebuild those bonds when she is reunited with her son.
She and about 1,200 women are held in Changi Prison Complex's Institution A4, Singapore's only all-women institution.
At a visit to the facility yesterday, President Halimah Yacob said: "I met many of the inmates and they told me that the support of their families is really something that keeps them going in the recovery process.
"We know that incarceration is necessary for those who have committed offences, but incarceration by itself is not sufficient to... prevent re-offending, for that you will need effective rehabilitation programmes.
"It has been shown that effective rehabilitation programmes reduce the rate of re-offending."
The women's prison has targeted gender-specific programmes designed to rehabilitate the inmates, with a larger focus on emotional well-being, community and family than those for male inmates.
Ms Charlotte Stephen, senior assistant director and correctional rehabilitation specialist, said: "Women tend to have more emotional needs. They are better able to support each other and require more community and group support."
The institution is run by an all-female officer team. Special programmes include one that addresses criminal attitudes and behaviour, known as 4C.
Inmates are also offered vocational courses such as baking, and education courses such as a condensed N-level programme.
