SINGAPORE: They're neither Superman nor Batman, but these fathers would like to be heroes to their children nonetheless — even if they have to do so from behind bars.

With just two days to go before Father's Day on Sunday, the 21 prisoners are anxiously rehearsing to make sure they express their thoughts right, through a play they've created specially for their families.

"We might have done wrong and made mistakes in the past, but we still want to be their imperfect heroes," said Joseph (not his real name), 37, a prisoner at Kaki Bukit Centre (Prison School), who wrote the play with the help of the Society for Reading and Literacy.

The theme came about after Joseph began thinking how he saw his dad as a child. "I realised my father was actually my hero."

He would like his three children — aged 4 to 12 — to know that he too, would like to be a hero to them. "I felt secure with my parents and I would like to give them that same kind of security. I want them to know, I want to live up to their expectations."

Putting together the play gave the prisoners something to look forward to, but it also gave Joseph a pang thinking about what would happen next. "What will I say if my daughter asks me if I can go home with her after the play?" he said. "At the end of the day, I still have a term to serve ... I needed the courage to face it."

As part of the celebrations — co-organised by the Centre for Fathering (CFF) — the prisoners will also spend the day playing games with their children, a rare treat since they are separated by a glass barrier during regular visitation sessions.

Said Ms Angeline Chua, officer-in-charge of programmes at the centre: "This year, we wanted the fathers to do something for their children and let their fathering be felt."

Joseph is also looking forward to putting CFF’s fathering advice to good use on Sunday. "I never thought simple questions like 'What's your favourite colour' was important to show that I care but now I know," he said. "I'm excited."


- TODAY/so