Yellow Ribbon Prison Run 2024: A Nation Beyond Second Chances

Singapore, 1 September 2024 – Started in 2009, the Yellow Ribbon Prison Run (YRPR) is the annual flagship event of the Yellow Ribbon Project. Themed “A Nation Beyond Second Chances”, the YRPR 2024 brings together communities across Singapore to champion for an inclusive society, where inmates and ex-offenders have second chances to turn their lives around and contribute to society.

Guest-of-Honour Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong flagged off about 11,000 participants at the YRPR 2024 starting line. This year’s run saw the highest number of foreign participants, including ambassadors of various countries, Heads of Consular Missions, and delegates attending the International Corrections & Prisons Association Annual Conference hosted by the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) from 1 – 6 September 2024. The enthusiastic response for the YRPR 2024 is a testament to the strong support for second chances for inmates and ex-offenders.

This year’s edition of the run had three categories – a 10km competitive run, a 5km non-competitive run, and a new 700m Kids Dash which aims to introduce and inspire our younger generation to the Yellow Ribbon cause. The Kids Dash category saw young participants aged between 6 and 12 engaging in a fun and novel race inside the Changi Prison Complex.

Participants also enjoyed the YRPR Carnival at the endpoint of the run, which included stage performances by talented ex-offenders from the Performing Arts Centre Band, and an exhibition showcasing the transformative journeys of ex-offenders. Through interactive activities in four different zones titled “I Begin”, “I Believe”, “I Become”, and “I Belong”, the exhibition showcased how members of the public could be agents of change to support the inmates and ex-offenders in their reintegration journeys. One highlight of the exhibition was the creation of a collaborative art piece involving the run participants. They helped colour butterfly cut-outs and pasted them onto a 3D replica of the Changi Prison Wall to symbolise the positive transformation of inmates and ex-offenders as they reintegrate back to society.

Inmate and Supervisee Participation in YRPR.

As part of YRPR 2024, 2,255 inmates and supervisees collectively walked or ran more than 35,000km over 20 weeks to help raise funds to contribute to the Yellow Ribbon Fund. To recognise their efforts and commitment, corporate donors had pledged $5 for every kilometre completed by the inmates, with the total contribution hitting the cap of $150,000.

Alan, an inmate who participated in the event said, “I decided to take part in this meaningful initiative to show my support to my fellow inmates and ex-offenders. Besides contributing to a good cause, it also promotes a healthy lifestyle for us as we walked during our recreation time in the Correctional Unit.”

Vice-Chairperson of YRPR 2024 Organising Committee, Superintendent Andy Kwa said, “As we commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Yellow Ribbon Project, it is truly inspiring to witness how the community, stakeholders, and beneficiaries were all actively involved in this flagship event. It sends a compelling message that with strong collective support, effort, and sustained advocacy for a nation beyond second chances, we can empower ex-offenders to grasp the opportunity for positive change with confidence and make meaningful contributions to society.”

Record Amount Raised

The YRPR 2024 raised a total of $557,370, the highest ever since the event was introduced. These funds will go towards various programmes that support the rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates and ex-offenders, and support their families and children to prevent inter-generational offending.