Kim’s Story: From Social Use to Legal Battle
Kim*, a young professional, had started using cannabis during a low period in her life. Things did improve, but she continued her use, falling into a social circle of users. With a reliable local supplier, friends soon asked Kim to get cannabis for them.
“That’s what I did,” Kim said. “I never marked up the price in any way, because this was friendship… It’s like, I’m helping you to purchase something we both use anyway.”
Strict Drug Use and Heavy Consequences
Singapore, however, has some of the harshest drug laws in the world. For instance, in Singapore, selling, giving or possessing drugs beyond prescribed limits deems you a trafficker. Kim’s life changed one day when one of her friends, entangled by the Central Narcotics Bureau, named her at the supplier. After police searched her phone, another friend was implicated, and Kim was charged with drug trafficking.
“I was wracked with horror,” she says. It “was just overwhelming. I felt complete and utter fear of what was going to pan out for me.”
Zero Tolerance Policy
In many jurisdictions, cannabis is decriminalized, and punishments for possession are more lenient. In Singapore, the presumption of intent to traffic exists for anything over 15 grams of cannabis. The penalty for more is execution. Last month’s execution of a 64-year-old with a heroin charge puts into perspective the nation’s approach to zero tolerance for drug crimes.
Thankfully, Kim is not facing the death penalty, but an extended imprisonment sentence could be probable.“The minimum sentence would be five years,” she says. “The worst case could be up to 20 years.”
Singapore’s Approach to Rehabilitation
While waiting for sentencing, Kim’s friends received another verdict; they were classified as drug consumers and not traffickers. The friends received six-month sentences in Singapore’s Drug Rehabilitation Centre– a state-run facility.
Singapore law mandates an assessment of the drug user’s level of risk. For minor users, they can stay at home under community supervision. The rest will be committed to compulsive rehabilitation. DRC inmates are put through a challenging regime– no beds, scant amenities, and constant surveillance. Harsh living conditions make the Centre feel like a prison, yet, the program is reformist in concept with psychology-based courses discouraging recidivism.
Contrasting Approaches to Rehabilitation
The element of forced rehabilitation in Singapore makes it a far cry from strictly volunteer programs in North America and Europe, where treatment emphasizes choice. Dr. Muni Winslow, an addiction psychiatrist, acknowledges Singapore’s system improvements. He feels, however, that there is a strong inclination towards correction without much holistic attention to the person. As much as stays in rehab do not lead to a criminal record, some would argue that their methods are punitive.
Post-Rehabilitation Surveillence
Singapore’s zero-tolerance policy also means intensive post-rehabilitation surveillance. A heroin user, for example, who has just been released into the community, spoke to ABC about life on an electronic tag, monitored by the Community Corrections Command. Regular urine tests ensure compliance, with the detection of drugs leading to arrest.
Criticism of the System
Critics, including the Transformative Justice Collective, insist that this approach only traumatizes people rather than addressing the cause of their drug use. “We’ve seen a lot of lives disrupted and a lot of trauma inflicted from being arrested, from being thrown into prison, from having to share a cell,” says Kirsten Han, an activist. These “are not harms caused by drugs. These are harms caused by the war on drugs,” she says.
Kim’s Uncertain Future
The most severe sentences are reserved for traffickers. Kim is preparing herself for the idea of going to prison and is mourning her loss of freedom, as she may potentially have to serve time under the Centre’s strict regime.
In December 2023, almost half of those imprisoned in Singapore were jailed for drug offenses, serving as a significant statement of the state’s staunch opposition to narcotics.
