Youth Offending Rate has remained low; Government to expand Rehabilitative Support for Older Youths

            Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) has released its inaugural Supporting Youth Rehabilitation Trends Report. The Report provides an overview of the progress made in key youth rehabilitation trends in Singapore, against the backdrop of our youth offending trends, from 2019 to 2023.¹ 

2.         Youth offenders below the age of 21 years old are in their formative years and still need guidance to address their risks and needs. Rehabilitation is therefore a key consideration in the youth justice system. The Government is committed to supporting and reintegrating these youths back into society. The youth offending rate has remained low. A high percentage of youth offenders completed the various rehabilitation programmes, while two-year recidivism rates also remained low. The key trends are as follows: 

a. The youth offending rate has remained low, compared to other countries,² at an average of 5.2 per 1,000 youths from 2019 to 2023. The offending rate in 2023 was 4.9, comparable to the rate of 4.6 in 2022. This can be attributed to the strong partnership among MSF, Government agencies, youths’ families and community partners to help steer youths away from committing offences. 

b. The top three offences committed by youth offenders were shop theft (509 youth offenders), cheating & related offences (422 youth offenders), and sexual offence (penetration) (250 youth offenders). 

c. Comparing 2019 and 2023, the offences with the largest increase in the number of youth offenders were: 

i. Cheating & related offences (increase from 260 to 422); 

ii. Offences under the Computer Misuse Act (increase from 53 to 195); and 

iii. Offences under the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act (increase from 92 to 133). 

d. Completion rates across the rehabilitation programmes remained high at around 90% in 2023. Among youths who have completed their rehabilitation programmes from 2019 to 2021,³ less than 10% reoffended within two years, which was low compared to other countries.⁴

3.         MSF remains committed to ensuring that our rehabilitation programmes address the evolving risks and needs of youth offenders. For instance, youth offenders involved in theft are guided by case workers at the Integrated Service Providers, Probation Service and MSF Youth Homes to take responsibility for their actions and understand their impact. Additionally, MSF’s programmes focus on equipping youths with relevant pro-social life skills to prevent reoffending. 

Government will expand rehabilitative support for older youth offenders under the Children and Young Persons Act from 1 January 2025 

4.         Today, the Youth Court only hears cases involving young offenders below the age of 16. Those who are 16 years old and above who commit offences are tried as adults in the State Court or the Community Court, unless they are diverted away from the criminal justice system. Studies have shown that older youth offenders may still not have the full cognitive maturity of adults to understand the seriousness of their offences. Therefore, the Children and Young Persons Act (CYPA) was amended to also cover youth offenders aged 16 to below 18 years so that cases involving these older youths can be heard in the Youth Court. This allows the older youth offenders to benefit from a wider range of rehabilitation options to address their needs and reduce reoffending. 

5.         At the same time, the Government is not soft on crime. To maintain public safety and deterrence against crime, older youths who commit more serious crimes such as certain sexual offences, unlicensed moneylending and drug trafficking, may face proceedings in a Court of appropriate jurisdiction, such as the State Courts. 

6.         The amendments will take effect on 1 January 2025. This will potentially expand rehabilitation to approximately 50 youth offenders aged 16 to below 18 years by end 2025, to better provide age-appropriate rehabilitation for these offenders, catered to their specific risks and needs. To prepare for the intake of these older youths, MSF has made infrastructural adjustments to accommodate older youths in the MSF Youth Homes, recruited and upskilled our staff, and collaborated with educational institutions to expand the academic and vocational offerings to the residents. 

Whole-of-society effort to rehabilitate and reintegrate youth offenders 

7.         MSF will continue to work with Government agencies, youths’ families, and community partners to ensure the rehabilitative needs of youth offenders are met. MSF also works through the National Committee on Preventing Offending and Reoffending⁵ to support youth offenders and their families.

8.         Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Social and Family Development), Mr Eric Chua said, “I am heartened that our youth offending rate has remained low. We want our youths to stay away from crime, build positive social support systems, and learn skills to reduce reoffending. Our youths’ families, community partners and volunteers play an important role in these rehabilitation efforts, dedicating time and effort to steer our youths in the right direction. We are grateful to all of them for their commitment in helping our youths start anew and work towards a brighter future.” 

9.         The full report can be found at: https://go.gov.sg/msfyouthrehabreport2024. 

^{1 Youth offenders refer to those aged 10 to below 21 years.} 

^{2 The Report compares Singapore’s youth offending rate to that in Australia and New Zealand, as these countries were the closest comparison to Singapore.} 

^{3 Reoffending rates are reported for the 2019 to 2021 discharge cohorts, as these rates were tracked on a two-year basis. The reoffending rates for 2022 and 2023 discharge cohorts will only be available after 2024.} 

^{4 The Report compares Singapore’s youth recidivism rate to that in New Zealand and Indiana, United States, as these countries/states were the closest comparison to Singapore.} 

^{5 The National Committee on Preventing Offending and Reoffending was set up in 2018 to oversee national efforts to prevent offending, as well as rehabilitating offenders. It is co-chaired by Minister of State for Home Affairs, Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development, Mr Eric Chua, supported by representatives from the public and people sector.}