A fishy solution to ending violence?
Fish oil pills, rather than new and expensive gadgets, may hold the key to dealing with violent prisoners. Taking a cue from their counterparts in the United Kingdom , the prison authorities here are also studying the effects of fish oil on reducing violent behaviour in inmates. These studies, however, are at a preliminary stage. If implemented, the Singapore Prison Service will be the first to explore the impact of fish oil supplements, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acid , on violent behaviour in an Asian incarcerated population . In a pilot study of 231 prisoners published in 2002, a group of University of Oxford researchers found that violent incidents, while in custody, were cut by more than a third among those given the supplements. Overall, offences recorded by the prison authorities fell by a quarter. Costs of administering nutritional supplements were also as low as 0.2 per cent of costs of the total expenses spent on incarcerating these offenders. Leong Wee Keat ----- ...