The Singapore Prison Service (SPS) is advancing its digital transformation to enhance correctional operations and rehabilitation outcomes. Two key IT systems—Facial Recognition System (FRS) and Autonomous Televisit System (ATS)—demonstrate SPS’s commitment to leveraging technology for operational efficiency and inmate engagement.
Deployed since 2019, FRS automates muster checks and movement tracking using intelligent camera systems, significantly reducing manpower demands. This allows officers to focus on higher-value tasks such as rehabilitation planning. Integrated with the Prison Operations & Rehabilitation Tools 2 (PORTS2) system, FRS ensures accurate inmate identification and location verification.
ATS, currently in operational trials, replaces legacy televisit setups with AI-enabled pods that support secure, remote interactions. Designed for multi-use scenarios including legal and family visits, ATS incorporates robust security features and is slated for full rollout by FY2029. Planned enhancements include speech-to-text transcription and cloud migration.
Both systems align with SPS’s strategy to maximise work outcomes through automation and digitalisation. By reducing routine workload, officers are empowered to concentrate on strategic and rehabilitative roles. This shift reflects SPS’s evolving mission and supports a high-performance culture.
Importantly, ATS enhances inmates’ interaction with key stakeholders, a critical factor in successful reintegration. By facilitating frequent, secure communication, it promotes effective rehabilitation.
Implementation challenges such as system integration and operational alignment have been addressed through careful planning and stakeholder engagement. Together, FRS and ATS mark significant milestones in SPS’s journey toward a more intelligent, humane, and effective correctional environment in Singapore
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Jean Chiang
Director of Logistics & Finance Division (L&FD), Singapore Prison Service, Singapore
Deputy Assistant Commissioner (DAC) Jean Chiang was appointed on 1st of May 2025 as the Director of Logistics & Finance Division (L&FD) in Singapore Prison Service (SPS). She graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Arts in 1998 and later obtained a Master of Social Work from the University of Manitoba, Canada, in 2009. She also holds a Graduate Diploma in Leading and Sustaining Change from the Civil Service College, Singapore.
DAC Jean Chiang joined SPS in 2001 and has accumulated over two decades of experience across a wide range of operational, training, and policy functions. Her career spans appointments in the women’s prison, Staff Development Division, Operations and Programmes. She has held key leadership roles including Deputy Commandant of the former Prison Staff Training School (now known as the Singapore Prison Training Institute) and Second Superintendent of Institution B4. She was also involved in policy and planning for officer training and inmate rehabilitation and contributed to the establishment of Cluster B within the Changi Prison Complex.
Between 2016 and 2020, Ms Chiang was seconded to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), where she worked in Capability Implementation as well as Training Policy and Transformation. She returned to SPS in 2020 and was appointed to be Deputy Director Community Corrections Command (DD COMC) in overseeing the rehabilitation and reintegration of supervisees back in the community. She leads a team of nearly 300 uniformed officers and civilian rehabilitation specialists, working closely with offenders’ families and community partners to deliver effective community corrections, reduce reoffending, and contribute to a safe Singapore.
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Boon Hwee Ong
Assistant Director (Trans-Tech Development & Sustainment), Singapore Prison Service, Singapore
Superintendent 1 (SUPT1) Ong Boon Hwee assists the Senior Assistant Director (Trans-Tech Development & Sustainment) to oversee all the ops-tech development and sustainment with direct linkages to corresponding domain experts/engineers in Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX). He monitors the progress of project development and implementation of technology systems in Singapore Prison Service (SPS).
Prior to this appointment, he was the Officer-in-Charge of a Correctional Unit in Cluster A of the Changi Prison Complex. His duty was to oversee the safe and secure custody of offenders in his Correctional Unit and to rehabilitate them. SUPT1 Ong Boon Hwee obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree with First Class Honours in Criminology from The University of Melbourne in 2010.
