In 2019, the Department continued to conduct year-round recruitment for Assistant Officer II and launch recruitment exercises for posts such as Officer, etc. In August 2019, Ethic Minority Relation Team was set up to solicit greater support from ethnic minorities and encourage them to join the Department by arranging diversified career talks and other recruitment exercises, etc for them.

Staff Training Institute (STI) provides 26-week and 23-week residential training to newly recruited Officers and Assistant Officers II respectively, during which academic subjects covering sociology, criminology, counselling, psychology and relevant laws are taught. Besides, training in the professional domains is provided such as scenario training, tactical and weapons training, emergency response training etc.

STI also arranges development training for serving staff to equip them with necessary skills and job knowledge to meet operational and career development needs. In 2019, 295 training courses were conducted for 4821 staff, including command courses, development and training courses, and tactical training courses. Respective command courses are designed for Officers up to Superintendents as they rise through the ranks. Refresher courses and duty-related training courses in the fields of institutional operation, nursing and health care, institutional security, rehabilitation and supervision, training and management, escort and support as well as emergency response and control, etc. are also arranged for all serving staff from Assistant Officers II to Principal Officers.

The Department believes that by providing Qualifications Framework-accredited training programmes, the level of professionalism in staff training can be further enhanced. This year, STI was recognised by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ) as a Hong Kong Qualifications Framework (HKQF) Level 4 operator, which allows STI to offer accredited training programmes at HKQF Level 4 (equivalent to an Associate Degree) or below. To enhance professionalism and recognition, STI aims to seek accreditation from HKCAAVQ for more training programmes in the future.

Currently, two STI tactical training programmes, namely “Professional Certificate in Safe and Effective Control Tactics (PCSECT)” and “Certificate in Safe and Effective Control Tactics (CSECT)”, are pitched at QF Level 4 and Level 3 respectively. Moreover, from December 2019 onwards, newly recruited Assistant Officers II will be awarded “Professional Diploma in Correctional Services” at QF Level 4 upon completion of 23 weeks of recruit training.

Given the ever-changing social environment and ever-rising public expectations, CSD is committed to developing knowledge management (KM) to improve the quality of correctional officers, foster a continuous learning culture and facilitate sharing of experience. With the dedicated efforts of KM Steering Committee and the participation and support from all staff, significant achievements have been made in different areas of KM and recognition has been gained from outside organisations. In 2019, the Department was given the Hong Kong Most Innovative Knowledge Enterprise (MIKE) Award 2019 and the Asian Global MIKE Award 2019.

The Correctional Services Department Sports Association (CSDSA) promotes a healthy and balanced lifestyle and fosters a team spirit by organising sports and recreation activities for staff, such as Annual Sports Meet, Swimming Gala and 10 km Distance Run, etc. Currently, there are a total of 34 sports teams under CSDSA. This year, a total of 105 representatives from CSDSA participated in the 18th World Police and Fire Games 2019 in Chengdu. With outstanding performance, the sport teams won nine gold medals, 14 silver medals and 10 bronze medals at the Games. To serve the community, our sports teams also proactively participated in various charitable sports activities and voluntary services, such as Hong Chi Climbathon 2019, Community Chest Wheelock Swim for Millions 2019, etc. Our sports teams also taught sports skills to the disadvantaged such as children with Down Syndrome, hearing impaired persons, etc.

CSD actively participates in charitable and fund-raising events such as the Community Chest’s Corporate and Employee Contribution Programme (CECP) and Walk for Millions. In 2018-19, the Department was presented with the CECP Silver Award, ECP Outstanding Award, Highest Donation Award and Highest Participation Rate Award of Civil Service Category, and the Outstanding Walking Team Award in the Walks for Millions and Award of Merit. Having been presented with the “Caring Organisation Logo” by the Hong Kong Council of Social Services since May 2016, the Oi Kwan Volunteer Group Limited (OKVGL) contributed around 4,000 service hours of voluntary work by around 20,000 volunteers in 2019. The services provided included paying home visits to elderly singletons, providing cleaning services for the elderly, organising parties for persons with intellectual disabilities, etc. In September 2019, OKVGL organised a video game fun day for the seniors in Aberdeen Kai-fong Welfare Association Social Service, which aimed to strengthen hand-eye coordination and cognitive thinking of the elderly as well as enhance their healthcare knowledge through playing modern simulation electronic games.

Staff Psychological Services (SPS) provides psychological services including psychotherapy and psycho-education materials to staff and their families by Clinical Psychologists (Staff Services), and training to serving staff and new recruits on stress management and work-related psychological topics.

In 2019, a pilot training of “Resilience Building” was provided with an aim to enhancing the resilience and ability of staff in facing adversity. To enhance stress management, relaxation training with the use of in-house relaxation audio exercise continues to be provided to staff when they are attending refresher courses. Two leaflets on parenting an adolescent and promoting the importance of mental health were published. The website of SPS was revamped with new uploads of guided relaxation exercises and other psycho-education materials, serving as a platform for staff and their families to “Access”, “Learn” and “Apply” relevant skills and knowledge at anytime and anywhere to help manage stress in daily life and at work.

The Department is committed to strengthening the ethical culture amongst staff by implementing the Integrity Ambassador Scheme and setting up the Integrity Management Team at institutional level. In 2019, 289 Integrity Ambassadors alongside 22 Integrity Management Teams pursued a wide scope of initiatives to enhance staff members’ awareness of personal ethics and promote integrity management at different levels.

In 2019, CSD continued to strengthen professional ties with Mainland counterparts, with delegations visiting the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Public Security in Beijing, Guangdong Prison Administrative Bureau, Guizhou Province, Shanghai City Prison Administrative Bureau, etc.

CSD also made professional exchanges with overseas counterparts by participating in major international conferences and overseas programmes, such as the Asian and Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators, International Corrections and Prisons Association Conference, Training Programmes of the United Nations Asia and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders and Australian Correctional Leadership Program, etc., with an aim to increasing the exposure of staff for better succession planning and making reference to the best practices adopted by our counterparts, so that the Department can further enhance its professionalism.

Guangdong-HongKong-Macao Prison and Correctional Services Conference 2019 was hosted by the Department in October, during which delegations from Guangdong Province, Macau and the Department participated in an in-depth discussion and shared experiences on the topic of “Advance with the times, Foster Smart ideas together”. In addition to the thematic discussions, sports activities were also organised for participants to facilitate exchanges and enhance their ties with each other.

CSD has been striving to enhance the collaboration with community stakeholders in order to encourage them to join hands to create rehabilitation opportunities for offenders, so that they can turn over a new leaf after release. CSD also spares no effort in fostering inclusive values and social harmony for a better Hong Kong.

In 2019, Human Resource Division (HRD) implemented a programme titled “Along with CSD”. Through a series of recruitment promotion initiatives, sports activities, and community services organised by HRD, CSDSA and OKVGL, members of the public can have a better understanding of and give greater recognition to the professionalism, visions and values of CSD.

In addition, the comprehensive and diversified activities under the programme also provide a platform for CSD staff to strengthen their cohesion, and offer opportunities for them to unleash their potential. Through life-on-life interaction during their spare time, CSD staff can further contribute to society, which in turn can enhance their satisfaction and sense of belonging, thus constructing an active and caring disciplined force with positive energy.

The programme includes visits to STI and correctional institutions by students of different ethnicities, sports exchanges and sports technique enhancement programmes and voluntary services, etc. This year, we held a series of activities, including a four-month voluntary programme jointly held by CSDSA Badminton Team and schools to provide badminton skill training to upper primary students. Meanwhile, our Hockey Team also organised “Correctional Services Department under 18 Hockey Tournament”. A total of five teams comprising around 100 youngsters of different ethnic origins joined the competition with life planning elements, through which they obtained a better understanding of the role, professionalism and mission of CSD. Moreover, through actively organising sports exchanges and voluntary sports technique enhancement courses for various schools and stakeholders, CSDSA sports teams such as Soccer Team, Basketball Team, Table Tennis Team, etc. not only offer care and support to society, but also help youngsters foster a positive attitude and prepare them for life planning and taking part in society, including correctional work, so that they could contribute to society in future. As at December 2019, there are more than 1685 participants in the programme.