Commissioner's Foreword

2008 has been a significant year for the Correctional Services Department (CSD). We have made great strides in alleviating prison overcrowding and meeting the demand for decent and modern prison facilities, helping us to achieve our aim of providing high quality custodial services. To this end, a multi-faceted prison development plan that includes works on a number of institutions throughout Hong Kong is in operation.

Several of these works were completed during 2008. Most notably, an extension to Block E of Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre has been completed, providing an additional 144 places. Furthermore, a move to swap the roles of Lai King Training Centre (LKTC) and Tai Tam Gap Correctional Institution (TGCI) has been completed, improving the efficacy of our young offender institutions and enhancing resource deployment in training centres.

Looking to the future, Lo Wu Correctional Institution is undergoing redevelopment and will provide 1400 places by 2010. We also have a plan to redevelop the two institutions in Chi Ma Wan in the coming years, providing a total of 800 places.

Progress has been made in our efforts to rehabilitate offenders. We have identified four critical success factors to achieve this aim: quality custodial services; comprehensive rehabilitative services; offenders' response to the programmes and their determination to turn a new leaf; and community support.

Our Rehabilitation Division celebrated its 10th anniversary in January 2008. The Division was established to promote offender rehabilitation and crime prevention, improving rehabilitation programmes and helping to improve community acceptance of reformed offenders.

In line with the implementation of a new phase in our Risks and Needs Assessment and Management Protocol for Offenders, further work has been done to lower the risk of repeat offences and to better meet the rehabilitative needs of offenders. Assessment has been extended to all local prisoners with a sentence of two years or above, and programmes for offenders both during incarceration and after their release have been enhanced.

The Department has received several awards for its charitable activities and service to the community. We were awarded in 2008 the "Caring Organisation Logo" for the third consecutive year. Moreover, we were particularly proud to be presented with the prestigious "Total Caring Award" in February 2008, in recognition of our commitment to caring for the well-being of staff and their families as well as the community as a whole.

One important aspect of the efforts the Department makes to care for its staff has been the provision of training opportunities, allowing staff members to broaden their horizons and enhance their prospects. January 2008 saw the launch of a new Advanced Diploma in Applied Social Science (Corrections) Programme at The School of Continuing and Professional Education, The University of Hong Kong (HKU SPACE). This course has been tailor-made for CSD staff, and is the only course in "Corrections" available at a tertiary level in Hong Kong.

The Department has maintained a policy of close contact and collaboration with other penal authorities in the region, an important measure which has furthered the mutual development of prison operations in the jurisdictions concerned. The "Beijing-Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Prison Forum 2008", hosted in Beijing in October 2008, was a great success. The theme of this year's forum was "Psychological Intervention and Prisoner Reform", and a series of discussions helped to identify strategies to deal with this issue both now and in the future. In a further effort to foster friendship and share work-related experiences between penal authorities, the 2008 Sports Meet of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Correctional Officers was hosted in Hong Kong this year. Teams from the Singapore Prison Service and the Correction Bureau of Republic of Korea were invited to participate as guests.

As ever, the tireless efforts of our staff have reaped great rewards in 2008. I look forward to addressing the challenges that we will face in 2009 and beyond, as we strive to provide a safe and inclusive society for all in Hong Kong.

KWOK Leung-ming, CSDSM
Commissioner of Correctional Services