Speakers
Nur Azlinda Zulkifli
Parallel Workshops
Correctional systems today face growing complexity as individuals move between custody, rehabilitation programmes, and community life. While policies and services are in place, meaningful change often depends on what happens at the human level — particularly during transitions from custody back into the community. This presentation explores how peer-informed partnerships, led by persons in recovery, can strengthen rehabilitation, support reintegration, and build safer, more connected communities.
Drawing from real-world practice in Singapore, this session shares how individuals with lived experience of addiction, incarceration, and recovery work side by side with correctional and rehabilitation stakeholders such as Singapore Prison Service and Yellow Ribbon Industries. Rather than operating as standalone peer programmes, these partnerships integrate lived experience into the correctional ecosystem, supporting individuals from custody through release and into community life.
Participants will gain insight into how persons in recovery help bridge gaps that systems alone often struggle to address — building trust in custodial settings, translating institutional expectations into practical guidance, and providing relational continuity during reintegration. The session highlights how peer-informed partnerships complement professional roles, improve engagement, and reduce disconnect across rehabilitation and community support structures.
This presentation offers practical reflections for correctional practitioners, policymakers, and community partners seeking collaborative, human-centred approaches to rehabilitation and reintegration. It invites participants to rethink how partnerships can move beyond programmes and policies — and instead centre lived experience as a strategic asset in responding to complexity within modern corrections.
Nur Azlinda is a lived-experience recovery leader, and anti-drug advocate working at the intersection of recovery, reintegration, and preventive education. Drawing from her own journey of addiction, relapse, and sustained recovery, she brings a grounded and compassionate perspective to conversations about change, accountability, and second chances.
As the Founder and Director of Ultimate Friends SG Ltd, Azlinda leads peer-led initiatives that support individuals in recovery, their families, and the wider community. Her work focuses on strengthening personal responsibility, rebuilding social connections, and breaking cycles of harm through honest dialogue and practical support. She collaborates closely with community partners, institutions, and other organisations to design programmes that are relevant, respectful, and rooted in real-world challenges.
Azlinda is known for her ability to translate lived experience into meaningful learning — whether engaging youths on prevention, supporting individuals navigating reintegration, or speaking with professionals about recovery-informed practice. She believes that sustainable change happens when people are met with dignity, clear boundaries, and belief in their capacity to grow. Through her work, she continues to advocate for approaches that are human-centred, peer-driven, and focused on long-term impact rather than short-term correction.
"Mohammad Hairi is a lived-experience recovery leader, and anti-drug advocate with extensive experience supporting individuals impacted by substance use and justice involvement. Having navigated addiction, incarceration, relapse, and long-term recovery himself, he brings a deeply grounded and practical perspective to recovery, reintegration, and preventive education work.
As Co-Founder and Director of Ultimate Friends SG Ltd, Hairi plays a key role in designing and facilitating peer-led programmes that support individuals in recovery and those under community-based supervision. His work spans community reintegration, preventive drug education, and mentoring — with a strong emphasis on accountability, structure, and sustainable change. In his professional capacity, he also works within the social service sector, supporting clients through programme facilitation, and skills-building initiatives.
Hairi is known for his honest, sense of humour engagement style and his ability to connect with individuals across different stages of change. He believes that recovery is not just about stopping harmful behaviour, but about rebuilding identity, responsibility, and purpose. Through his facilitation and sharing, he challenges myths around relapse and recovery, while advocating for peer-informed, strength-based approaches that empower individuals to take ownership of their next chapter."