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Over the years Hong Kong has developed an internationally acclaimed correctional system, which places increasing emphasis on correction and rehabilitation of offenders. The Correctional Services Department (CSD) runs a comprehensive range of rehabilitation programmes targeting different types of prisoners such as young offenders, drug dependants, first-time offenders and recidivists.
With an establishment of about 6 650 staff, CSD manages 23 correctional institutions, three half-way houses, four rehabilitation centres, two custodial wards of public hospital and one detention centre for immigration detainees, which accommodate about 12 000 inmates. The correctional institutions include minimum, medium and maximum security prisons, a psychiatric centre and training, detention and drug addiction treatment centres. It also runs an extensive community-based supervision service.
Adult Male Offenders: CSD operates 12 prisons for male adults. Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre accommodates prisoners awaiting trial, appellants, and newly convicted prisoners pending classification and allocation to other institutions.
Stanley Prison, the largest maximum-security prison, houses prisoners serving life or long-term sentences. Another maximum-security prison, Shek Pik Prison, houses those serving medium to long-term sentences including life imprisonment.
Ma Po Ping Prison, Tong Fuk Centre, Hei Ling Chau Correctional Institution and Pak Sha Wan Correctional Institution are medium-security prisons.
The five minimum-security prisons are Tung Tau Correctional Institution, Pik Uk Prison, Tai Lam Correctional Institution, Ma Hang Prison and Lai Sun Correctional Institution. Lai Sun Correctional Institution functions as a pre-release vocational training centre to help prisoners acquire marketable vocational skills and publicly recognized qualifications. Ma Hang Prison houses elderly prisoners.
Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre (SLPC) provides psychiatric treatment for the criminally insane, dangerous and violent prisoners. Visiting psychiatrists there also provide psychiatric assessments for the courts.
Young Male Offenders: Pik Uk Correctional Institution, a maximum-security institution, operates as a reception centre, training centre and prison for young offenders.
Cape Collinson Correctional Institution is a training centre for offenders who are aged between 14 and under 21. Those committed to training centres receive a period of training from six months to three years. Release is followed by a three-year compulsory supervision. Sha Tsui Detention Centre emphasises strict discipline, hard work and counselling. Detention varies from one to six months for offenders aged between 14 and under 21, and three to 12 months for those between 21 and under 25. There is a 12-month supervision following release.
Lai Chi and Lai Hang Rehabilitation Centres house young male offenders for an aggregate period of three to nine months. The rehabilitation centre programme, introduced in 2002, focuses on reformation of young offenders, who are subject to one year's supervision after release.
Female Offenders: There are five female institutions. Tai Lam Centre for Women functions as a remand centre and a prison for adult women. Chi Ma Wan Correctional Institution and Lai Chi Kok Correctional Institution are medium-security prisons for adult female offenders. Chi Sun Correctional Institution is a minimum-security prison for female adult prisoners. Lai King Correctional Institution provides educational and vocational training for young female offenders under the age of 21. Chi Lan and Wai Lan Rehabilitation Centres accommodate
young female offenders under the rehabilitation centre programme.
Female inmates sentenced under the Mental Health Ordinance and those requiring psychiatric assessment or treatment are accommodated in the Female Unit of SLPC.
Drug Addiction Treatment: CSD runs a compulsory treatment programme for convicted drug addicts. It provides the courts with an alternative to imprisonment. Male drug abusers are accommodated at Hei Ling Chau Addiction Treatment Centre and females at Hei Ling Chau Addiction Treatment Centre (Annex). Adult and young inmates are accommodated separately. An inmate undergoes treatment for two to 12 months, followed by one year's compulsory supervision after release. The programme is based on discipline and open-air physical activities including work programmes and therapy, and is supported by a comprehensive supervision service.
Correctional Services Industries (CSI): CSI provides work to adult prisoners as required by law. Employment keeps convicted inmates, except those who are physically unfit for work, purposefully and gainfully occupied, thus reducing the risk of unrest due to boredom. Through these working opportunities, prisoners are able to contribute to society.
In 2007, a daily average of about 6 266 prisoners were engaged in industrial work. Workshops in penal institutions provide a wide range of goods and services mainly for government departments and subvented organisations. Examples are office furniture, staff uniforms and leather accoutrements, hospital linen, litter containers, traffic signs, paving blocks, slabs and kerbs for infrastructure projects. Prisoners also provide laundry services for the Hospital Authority, the Department of Health and the Fire Services Department. They also laminate books for public libraries, undertake printing work and make file jackets and envelopes for government departments.
Production and services provided by the CSI have an eventual outcome of reducing public expenditure. In 2007, the total output was equivalent to $455 million in commercial value. In the course of production, prisoners develop a good working habit and a sense of responsibility, learn how to work as a team and build up confidence. This will in turn enable the prisoners to develop not only the basic trade skills of different industries, but also the “employability skills” essential for them to enter into employment and to keep their jobs after release.
Supervision Service: To ensure continued care and guidance, statutory supervision is provided for young inmates; persons released from training, detention, rehabilitation and drug addiction treatment centres; and those released under various schemes such as the Release Under Supervision Scheme (RUSS), Pre-release Employment Scheme (PRES), Post-release Supervision of Prisoners Scheme (PRSS), Conditional Release Scheme (CRS) and Supervision After Release Scheme (SARS). Supervision staff work closely with inmates' families to establish good relationship between inmates and their families and prepare inmates to face possible challenges and demands upon their return to the community. Continuous contact is maintained with every inmate in custody. Close supervision continues after discharge through frequent visits to supervisees' home or place of work throughout the supervision period.
To facilitate a gradual transition from institution to community life, CSD runs three half-way houses — Phoenix House in Lung Yan Road for young inmates released from detention and training centres; Pelican House which is annexed to Phoenix House for prisoners released under the RUSS, PRES and CRS as well as adults from drug addiction treatment centres and prisoners released under the PRSS with accommodation needs; and Bauhinia House in Tai Lam Chung for female prisoners released under the RUSS, PRES and CRS and female inmates released from training and drug addiction treatment centres.
Success rates for the supervision service are measured by the percentage of inmates who complete the statutory supervision without reconviction. For drug addiction treatment centre inmates, they must also remain drug free. In 2007, the success rates were: detention centre (95%), training centres (73%), drug addiction treatment centres (55%), rehabilitation centres (95%), young prisoners (89%), RUSS (75%), PRES (100%), SARS (100%), and PRSS (88%). Altogether, 2 310 males and 271 females had completed statutory supervision in 2007 whereas 2 538 males and 361 females were under active supervision as at end of 2007.
Welfare and Counselling Services: Rehabilitation Officers look after the welfare of prisoners and inmates who are in custody or on remand by providing assistance and guidance to help them solve their personal problems and cope with difficulties arising from detention. The officers also organise programmes such as Sentence Planning Scheme to encourage prisoners serving long-term sentences to spend their time purposefully and the Pre-release Re-integration Orientation Courses to prepare prisoners for release.
To further improve rehabilitative services for offenders through community involvement, CSD officers work closely with over 60 non-government organisations (NGOs) to co-ordinate a variety of activities ranging from counselling services and religious sacraments to large-scale cultural ventures and recreational projects in correctional institutions.
Psychological Services: Psychological services are provided for inmates / prisoners to improve their psychological well-being and help change their offending behaviour. Psychological assessments are provided for the courts, review boards and institution management to facilitate their decision making and management of offenders. To assist in programme planning and improve treatment effectiveness, an automated programme for identifying the re-offending risks and rehabilitative needs of offenders have been developed. Therapeutic programmes for offenders include Offending Behaviour Programme for young offenders which targets criminogenic factors related to offending, treatment programme for sex offenders, Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Programme for substance abusers. For adult offenders, Substance Abuse Awareness and Recidivism Prevention Programme, Violence Prevention Programme and Mental Health Programme are also in place at selected adult institutions. To encourage family members' participation in the rehabilitation of young offenders, a variety of Inmate-Parent Programmes are also introduced.
Education: Half-day compulsory education in general and practical subjects is provided for young inmates. The programmes enable inmates to improve their academic standards which help their future re-integration. They are encouraged to study for local and international public examinations. Tutorial groups and hobby classes conducted by volunteer tutors are run in adult institutions, where prisoners can enrol voluntarily. Prisoners are also encouraged to participate in self-study courses or distance learning for tertiary education by making use of the resources and expertise of external accredited educational organisations.
Vocational Training: To help offenders acquire job skills, obtain public-accredited qualifications and re-integrate smoothly into society after discharge, CSD provides half-day compulsory technical or commercial training for young inmates. Equal importance is placed on theoretical and practical aspects of the curriculum which prepares them to pursue further training after release.
Adult prisoners are as a rule engaged in industrial production and trained to acquire necessary skills. Where appropriate, CSD helps them obtain skill accreditation by enrolling them in relevant Intermediate Trade Tests conducted by vocational training organisations. In recent years, CSD has enhanced formal vocational training for adult offenders by providing pre-release vocational training for local adult offenders who wish to participate on a voluntary basis. Such pre-release vocational training comprises full-time training at Lai Sun Correctional Institution and part-time training in other adult offender institutions.
Religious Services: A full-time Chaplain and his assistant co-ordinate the planning and provision of religious services. They are assisted by a number of volunteer chaplains who visit and conduct services for prisoners and inmates. Many volunteers and voluntary organisations also provide a wide range of spiritual and social services in institutions.
Medical Services in Institutions: Medical services are provided in all institutions. All persons on admission undergo a physical examination by a medical officer. Those suffering from drug withdrawal symptoms are detoxified in an institutional hospital. Persons requiring intensive medical care or specialist consultation are referred to public hospitals for treatment.
Visiting Justices: Each institution is visited by two Justices of the Peace once every fortnight or monthly depending on its type. The Justices of the Peace carry out certain statutory duties such as investigating complaints made to them by prisoners, inspecting diets and examining buildings and accommodation. Visits are made at times and on days of their own choosing within a prescribed period without prior notice.
Staff Training: The Staff Training Institute is responsible for planning and implementing training programmes to equip staff with relevant knowledge to fulfill the Vision, Mission and Values of the Department.
Newly recruited Officers and Assistant Officers have to undergo 26-week and 23-week basic training respectively including field placement at penal institutions. Development training courses such as refresher courses, specialist training courses and command courses are regularly conducted at the institute to foster staff's personal effectiveness and help their career development. Scenario training and situational analysis are emphasised in staff training.
To promote self-enhancement and life-long learning culture, CSD provides a wide variety of self-learning resources. The e-Learning Programme enables staff to pursue job-related learning on-line after work.
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