Not all "Unsung Heroes" are created equal

Out of prison and into the kitchen: More eateries hiring ex-convicts

"Of all the eateries helping to rehabilitate former offenders, Western restaurant chain Eighteen Chefs is perhaps the best-known.

Its owner Benny Se Teo is a former inmate himself, and former convicts make up 30 per cent of his staff, spread over three restaurants.

The 51-year-old said he employs former offenders because he knows from experience that they often have low self-confidence when they are released from prison...

'Most jobs offered to them are positions such as dishwashers or car washers. These jobs give them even lower self-esteem and hinder their rehabilitation. I give them a job where they can at least hold their head up higher,' he said.

He added that he usually sees an increase in their confidence after a while."

Time for dishwashers and car washers to comprain (or send in angry letters)...