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I took up this office in July 2006 with eagerness and pleasure. This feeling came partially from the urge to continue and further the mission and goal paved and laid out by my predecessors. The rest came from the anticipation to face and handle the awaiting challenges. With the solidarity of our team, we were able to achieve our targets with pride and joy in 2006. I envisage that our joined effort can elevate the spirit of all staff as well as our custodial services to the next level.
Overcrowding and ageing facilities have long been challenges to our department. We always endeavour to mitigate the problems. With the opening of Lai Chi Kok Correctional Institution (LCKCI) in July 2006, we strode a step towards their resolution. LCKCI is the latest institution that came into service. It has created 650 female penal places and has introduced modernised facilities under our department in terms of application of technology. Its timely emergence not only alleviates a fair amount of burden arising from the ever-growing female inmate population, but also sets a ground of how modern technology such as the computerised monitoring system can be used to strengthen security and enhance efficiency of penal management.
More plans are already underway to tackle overcrowding in penal institutions. In July 2006, the plan to redevelop Lo Wu Correctional Institution (LWCI) into three penal institutions was endorsed by Finance Committee of the Legislative Council. The three institutions combined in a cluster are designed to house 1 400 inmates, about 1 200 more than the old LWCI. Construction will start in April 2007, and is expected to complete in late 2009. The new institutions will start taking inmates in 2010.
We can see a continuously high admission trend for female inmate population on one hand and the relatively low admission for young male offenders on the other. It was hence decided that the function of Lai King Training Centre (LKTC) and Tai Tam Gap Correctional Institution (TGCI) be swapped. That is, LKTC will be restructured to hold female offenders and vice versa for TGCI. The manoeuvre targets to maximise the staffing, facilities as well as financial resources. The project will start soon and is expected to complete in late 2008.
We also consider seriously the needs of inmates once they return to society. In July 2006, Lai Sun Correctional Institution was refurbished to become the first vocational training centre for male adult prisoners. It aims to provide training courses in both the business and technical fields for a total of 260 prisoners with a remaining sentence of two years. The project will raise the value and work skills of inmates to match with the open market. Our ultimate goal is to better equip the employability of trainable inmates.
It is worth mentioning the decommissioning of Victoria Prison (VP) in March 2006. Built in 1841, VP was the first local prison. Since then, it has undergone changes caused by turns of different eras. Whether or not the site and buildings will be preserved is a matter for the authorities concerned. It certainly will bring about the collective memory to many of us in the years to come. While the closure of VP might give us fond memories, the curtain rising of LCKCI should mark the threshold of a more modern and technologically advanced era. I believe our staff can keep pace with time and I can see a bright future for us.
SIN Yat-kin
Assistant Commissioner (Operations)
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| CSD's security bus appears in the Government Transport
Special Stamp Collection. |
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| Assistant Commissioner (Operations) Sin Yat-kin and Postmaster General Tam Wing-pong (right) at the Government Transport Special Stamp Collection issuance ceremony. |
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Adult Male Prisoners
In 2006, 11 855 adult males were sentenced to imprisonment and 8 203 remanded in our custody.
Male adult aged 21 and above after being sentenced to imprisonment are first sent to the Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre to undergo an assessment by a Classification and Categorisation Board to decide upon their security rating for assignment to an appropriate institution. The Board gives due consideration to all factors including the prisoners' background, the nature of their offences, the risk they pose to the community and whether they are first-time offenders.
Prisoners serving long sentences, including life imprisonment, are accommodated in Stanley Prison and Shek Pik Prison. The criminally insane and those in need of psychiatric treatment are detained in Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre. Castle Peak Bay Immigration Centre serves as a detention centre for immigration detainees and persons subject to deportation. |
Adult Female Prisoners
In 2006, 7 059 adult females were sentenced to imprisonment and 2 263 remanded in our custody. Tai Lam Centre for Women provides accommodation for adult female prisoners and also holds a remand section and a small unit for prisoners serving sentence 12 years and above. The majority of the prisoners there are deployed to work in laundry, domestic services or gardening. The Chi Ma Wan Correctional Institution, a medium-security institution, provides accommodation for adult female prisoners of a lower security rating whilst the Chi Sun Correctional Institution, a minimum-security institution, also houses adult female prisoners. In mid-2006, the Lai Chi Kok Correctional Institution (LCKCI), a medium-security institution, came into operation. LCKCI not only provides 438 penal places of the Victoria Prison after its closure in late 2005 but also provides 212 additional penal places to ease the congestion of other female institutions.
Compared with the record of imprisonment of female adults in 2005, the average daily penal population of this year dipped to 1 964 which still exceeds the average capacity of 1 456. Nonetheless, the projected shortfall of future penal accommodation places is one of our prime concerns. To satisfy the imminent demand of penal places, a series of projects have been initiated. In particular, the Department is initiating a redevelopment plan to cover the existing Lo Wu Correctional Institution and an adjacent site, which will provide two medium security institutions each with 400 places, and a minimum security one with 600 places upon completion. As endorsed by Finance Committee of Legislative Council in July 2006, construction works will start in April 2007 and to be completed by end- 2009 expectedly. |
Young Male Prisoners
In 2006, 384 young men under the age of 21 were sentenced to imprisonment and 1 678 remanded in our custody. Accommodation is provided for them at the Pik Uk Correctional Institution in Sai Kung. |
Young Female Prisoners
In 2006, a total of 828 young women under the age of 21 were sentenced to imprisonment and 351 were remanded in our custody. Tai Tam Gap Correctional Institution accommodates young female prisoners and remands. It also serves as a reception centre for young females awaiting pre-sentence assessment. |
General Treatment in Prisons
On admission, all convicted prisoners attend a Classification and Categorisation Board which determines the type of institution to which they will be assigned, and undergo a thorough medical examination including X-ray. They then participate in a short induction course and receive instruction on routines, rules and regulations, rights, privileges and welfare assistance.
Prisoners may see the Superintendent and other senior officers on request and can also see visiting Justices of the Peace if they wish to make a request or complaint. Bilingual notices are prominently displayed in each institution advising prisoners of these rights.
A wide range of industrial activities, including carpentry, metalwork, fibreglass, garment making and government-run laundries are available in penal institutions for prisoners. Young prisoners undergo a comprehensive rehabilitation programme while serving their sentence. This includes vocational training in different trades, educational classes of different levels, counselling, group activities, recreation and physical education. Education for adult prisoners is entirely on a voluntary basis.
In mid-July 2006, Lai Sun Correctional Institution (LSCI), formerly a prison and drug addiction treatment centre for inmates, was converted into a vocational training centre to provide full-time vocational training for male adult prisoners. It is the first time which vocational training has been extended to adult prisoners in Hong Kong.
Reckoning that employment is essential to rehabilitation, the Department takes a proactive effort to better equip prisoners with marketable vocational-skill training to enhance their employability upon release. As at 31 December 2006, LSCI's penal population was 105. |
Training Centres
Training centres provide training for young offenders sentenced under the Training Centres Ordinance. The periods of training range from a minimum of six months to a maximum of three years. It depends on the inmate's response to training, motivation to lead a law-abiding life after release and progress in the three different grades from beginner, intermediate to advanced grade. A Board of Review assesses the progress of each inmate at least once a month. Each inmate attends the Board, where information about his/her strengths and weaknesses is given. The Board may consider promotion of grade and release.
All inmates are required to attend half-day education classes and half-day vocational training. They are assigned to classes in accordance with their previous educational attainment and taught by qualified teachers. Classes range from primary to secondary levels. Vocational training is designed to develop good working habits and skills, which would help the inmates obtain employment after release. For those who wish to continue their vocational training after release, the Department would help them seek placements with the Construction Industry Training Authority and the Vocational Training Council.
Recreational and physical activities are held in the evening and on Sundays and public holidays. Outdoor activities such as ball games and athletics are conducted regularly by qualified physical education instructors. Indoor activities include hobby classes, music, Putonghua, art design, drawing, painting, chess and reading.
In 2006, 164 male and 10 female young offenders were admitted to training centres. |
Detention Centre
Detention centre training is designed to instil into the young male inmates a respect for the law and to help them develop self-respect, an awareness of neglected capabilities in legitimate pursuits and an ability to live with other people in harmony. This programme is administered at Sha Tsui Detention Centre. This minimum-security institution on Lantau Island has two sections for inmates undergoing the detention centre programme: one for young offenders aged between 14 and 20 and the other for young adults aged between 21 and those under 25. In 2006, 186 young offenders and 39 young adults were admitted.
Young offenders receive training at the centre for a minimum of one month to a maximum of six months, and young adults for a minimum of three months to a maximum of 12 months. During the year, the average length of detention for young offenders was five months and one day while that for young adults was seven months and 15 days.
A progressive system similar to that operates in training centres is adopted. A Board of Review assesses the progress, attitude, effort and response of each detainee at least once a month and considers his release. |
Rehabilitation Centres
The centres provide an additional sentencing option for the courts to deal with young offenders aged between 14 and under 21 who are in need of a short-term residential rehabilitation programme. The programme consists of two phases. The first phase provides two to five months' training inside a correctional facility. It focuses on discipline training with the aim to help young offenders learn to exercise better self-control and develop a regular living pattern through half-day basic work skills training and half-day educational/counselling programmes. During the second phase, young offenders are accommodated in an institution of a half-way house for a period of one to four months. They may go out for work, schooling or engage in other approved activities.
The four rehabilitation centres are Lai Chi Rehabilitation Centre and Lai Hang Rehabilitation Centre for male young offenders, Chi Lan Rehabilitation Centre and Wai Lan Rehabilitation Centre for female young offenders. Discharged young offenders are subject to one year's statutory supervision by supervising officers.
In 2006, 250 male and 55 female young offenders were admitted to rehabilitation centres. |
Drug Addiction Treatment Centres
The Drug Addiction Treatment Centres Ordinance provides the courts with an option of sentencing a drug addict found guilty of an offence punishable by imprisonment to detention in a drug addiction treatment centre. The Hei Ling Chau Addiction Treatment Centre provides accommodation for young and adult male drug abusers. Whereas young and adult female drug abusers are separately accommodated at the Annex to Hei Ling Chau Addiction Treatment Centre.
The period of treatment ranges from a minimum of two to a maximum of 12 months. The actual length of treatment depends on an inmate's health and progress and likelihood of being able to remain drug-free after release.
The drug addiction treatment programme aims to detoxify, restore physical health and, through the application of therapeutic and rehabilitative treatment, wean addicts from drug dependence. Inmates are assigned work commensurate with their capabilities, skills and fitness. Those who are medically unfit for a full work programme will receive special occupational therapy instead. The work programme helps inmates to improve their health, develop good working habits and establish self-confidence and a sense of responsibility.
Male inmates are engaged in carpentry, metalwork, laundry services, as well as outdoor work such as gardening, construction and maintenance services. Female inmates are employed in gardening, bookbinding, laundry and various domestic services.
We assist inmates in gaining better insight into their drug problems through individual and group counselling. A specially designed Relapse Prevention Programme is available to prepare inmates psychologically prior to their release. Inmates released from addiction treatment centres are subject to a 12-month supervision to assist them in reintegrating into the community. During the supervision period, a supervisee can be recalled for a further period of detention if any of the supervision conditions are breached.
In 2006, 1 341 adult offenders and 57 young offenders were admitted to drug addiction treatment centres. Among them, 1 203 were males and 195 were females. |
Medical and Health Services
The Department provides basic medical and health services for inmates and prisoners. All institutions have either hospitals or sick bays served by Medical Officers seconded from the Department of Health, supported by qualified departmental nursing personnel. We have medical officers and senior hospital staff inspect institutions frequently to ensure that a high standard of hygiene and cleanliness is always maintained. The general health of prisoners has been satisfactory throughout the year with no epidemic reported.
Diets for prisoners follow the approved scales prepared by dietitians, which ensure sufficient calories and nutritional value. Adjustments would be made to take care of the special needs of particular prisoners on medical grounds or for religious reasons.
Psychiatrists from the Hospital Authority regularly visit Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre to provide consultations to patients and prepare psychiatric reports on individuals as required.
Dental treatment, including the provision of dentures, simple fillings and extractions, is available to inmates if required.
Ante-natal and post-natal care is also provided. Babies are delivered in public hospitals.
All persons in custody with medical complaints requiring in-patient care are usually hospitalised inside institutions. Cases requiring intensive medical care or surgical operations are transferred to public hospitals. For security reasons, prisoners requiring treatment in a public hospital are located in the custodial wards at either Queen Mary Hospital or Queen Elizabeth Hospital unless their medical conditions require alternative arrangements.
We have made special arrangements to assist handicapped prisoners in adapting to the institutional environment. The medical officer, nursing staff, clinical psychologist, rehabilitation officer and other staff assist these prisoners during their imprisonment in meeting their special needs and preparing them for discharge.
HIV and AIDS did not cause any problem in our institutions. However, the Department has established guidelines for its staff on handling such cases and a programme of education and prevention.
In line with the government's anti-smoking policy, publicity and counselling on the hazards of smoking continue to be emphasised in institutions. |
Escort and Support Group
The Escort and Support Group has some 363 staff members. It provides services to various penal institutions, including:
- escort of remands and prisoners
- to attend courts;
- to police stations for identification parades;
- to attend medical appointments;
- to attend any place as required under Section 12 of the Prisons Ordinance;
- for transfer between penal institutions; and
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hospitalised in open wards.
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giving tactical support to penal institutions in case of emergencies.
The Group is responsible for the management of Cell Holding Units in the Court of Final Appeal, the High Court, the District Court, Kwun Tong Law Courts. Also, staff will be deployed to different Magistracies to take over inmates committed to our custody. |
 Correctional Services Dog Unit
The Correctional Services Dog Unit has 18 staff members to handle dogs to perform patrol and drug detection duties, raise and train dogs. It has a centralised operational base with support team at Headquarters. There are four regional dog teams separately stationed in different regions, i.e. Island Dog Team, New Territories Dog Team, Hei Ling Dog Team and Lantau Dog Team. |
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