When she found out her daughter had been arrested for alleged drug offences four years ago, Madam Janet Chen was at a loss.

Her daughter Jenny Lee, now 37, was arrested at Changi Airport after returning from Kuala Lumpur, where she had attended a party.

Both women's names have been changed to protect their identities.

Madam Chen, 63, who works in sales, said: "My mind was in a blank. I did not know what to do. I did not know if I needed to engage a lawyer, when I could see her or what happened."

But Madam Chen and others like her will get more help under a new pilot project which stations volunteers in the State Courts from next month to help the families of people who are facing jail. The volunteers, who are from the Singapore After-Care Association (Saca), will be available at a booth in the State Courts for at least six months. They will answer questions and help families understand what happens when a loved one is jailed.

Saca's initiative follows a call by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon last November for help to be offered to the families of prisoners earlier - at the point of sentencing and not just after their imprisonment. This is particularly important in cases where the breadwinner is going to be jailed, he told reporters.

Currently, most cases that Saca handles are when inmates are about to released, and might need help to settle back into society.

Family and community support will be strengthened by Saca's new initiative, said volunteers who work with inmates' families.

Former prison officer Elendrus Osman said: "We don't want problems to get too big, too late and too difficult to solve." Families usually want to know the financial, legal and social assistance they are eligible for, he added.

"They don't know where to turn to," said Mr Elendrus, 69, who has been conducting home visits to inmates' families under the Yellow Ribbon Community Project for the past eight years. Having volunteers at the State Courts provide an extra avenue for inmates' families to seek help, he added.

Saca volunteer Leow How Phing, 45, a real estate agent, said it was helpful to provide help to prisoners' families earlier.Having Saca volunteers stationed at the State Courts is convenient as family members may be there to attend court hearings or pre-trial conferences. "They also have someone to talk to face to face instead of through a telephone call or e-mail," said Mr Leow, who has been volunteering with Saca for the past five years.

Currently the public have to call or go to Saca's centre in Dunlop Street to get information tailored to their needs.

Volunteers have had requests for meetings at a more discreet location as some do not want their neighbours to find out about their relative's incarceration. "I've had one case where the daughter-in-law, who stays with her husband's parents, does not want them to know that their son is in jail," said Mr Elendrus.

One family also asked to have a volunteer from another district conduct the home visit to maintain secrecy, added Mr Elendrus, who runs a team of 28 volunteers in his neighbourhood.

In Madam Chen's case, she cried herself to sleep and lost weight because of the constant worry over her daughter's arrest.

Ms Lee said in Mandarin: "When my mother came to see me in Changi Women's Prison for the first time, I broke down. It was so emotional. When I saw her properly, she appeared sunken and her arms were the size of my wrists."

Madam Chen said: "I had to ask my son to take me to a doctor. I was worried I was clinically depressed."

Ms Lee, who grew up in a single-parent family, said: "When I was in prison, I learnt to appreciate my family more. I miss having my mother, younger brother and sister around. I miss my mother's cooking most of all."

Now studying to be an artist, she said:"A stable family was very important to my recovery, to make sure I don't relapse. I have seen it happen to those women I met in prison. Family support is very important."