Overall, 2006 was a year of progression and development for the Correctional Services Department (CSD) in which our efforts centred on the expansion of the facilities we furnish to the community. Our mission to provide the highest quality of custodial and rehabilitative services has been at the forefront of our programme of renovating Hong Kong's correctional facilities. Redevelopment projects have been a priority for the CSD in recent years and will remain so as we redouble efforts to maintain first-class correctional and custodial services.

Many of the correctional institutions were not originally built for the purpose of housing offenders. Therefore, the buildings often require regular refurbishment to make the best use of space. The ongoing renovation of correctional institutions will help improve the environment for prisoners, modernise the facilities we offer and alleviate problems caused by overcrowding.

One such project was the opening of the newly constructed Lai Chi Kok Correctional Institution in July 2006, providing for 650 female occupants. The installation of a state-of-the-art central computerised monitoring system in the facility demonstrates the readiness of the CSD to adopt the highest standards in provision and service.

The redevelopment of the Lo Wu Correctional Institution was another success story in 2006. The Legislative Council's Finance Committee ratified proposals for the construction of three institutions providing a total of 1 400 places at the existing site. The three new institutions will begin accepting inmates by 2010, presenting a substantial boost to the overall capacity of Hong Kong's penal system.

The range of services supplied by the CSD continued to expand in 2006, with the unveiling of our first vocational training centre at the refurbished Lai Sun Correctional Institution at Hei Ling Chau. The Institution can accommodate 260 trainees in business and technical programmes, assisting offenders to acquire relevant skills and finding suitable employment upon release.

Following increasing problems of overcrowding in young female institutions, the CSD has responded flexibly to meet changing trends. A review of the deployment of penal institutions was conducted at the end of 2006 in order to assess optimum usage strategies for existing facilities and services. The study allowed us to implement re-grouping policies, through which staffing and financial resources can be maximised and rehabilitation programmes carried out more effectively. As a result, the inmates being housed in Lai King Training Centre and Tai Tam Gap Correctional Institution are to switch locations, offering a more spacious facility for female inmates without having to increase the overall number of penal places.

In order to furnish more effective services, we have implemented a systematic risks and needs assessment protocol for all local inmates with sentences of two years or above. The scientific, evidence-based assessments will help identify prisoners prone to custodial and re-offending risks and formulate effective programmes to suit individual needs.

We continued to foster community awareness, a vital means of promoting acceptance of rehabilitated offenders back into the community. The "One Company One Job Campaign", initiated by the commercial sector in Kowloon City to offer rehabilitated offenders job opportunities, was extended to Sha Tin and Sham Shui Po. The CSD Rehabilitation Volunteer Group consisting of more than 200 professionals, retirees and university students offered multi-faceted services for inmates.

I would like to take this opportunity to extend deep gratitude to our partners (the number of which has increased from 28 in 2002 to over 60 presently) for the support we receive, financial and in kind. Their generous provision of financial assistance has allowed many in our custody to pursue higher education and vocational training.

We have spared no efforts in stemming illicit activities inside penal institutions. Crackdowns have been successfully initiated by the CSD to tackle gambling and to ensure all penal institutions remain drug-free.

Staff promotion in the CSD is conducted according to Civil Service Regulations and under the scrutiny of the Public Service Commission. Officers are selected for promotion on the criteria of character, ability, experience and relevant qualifications, and we continue to foster the ability of staff to prepare them for taking up higher ranks in the future.

I am honoured to be appointed to succeed Mr Pang Sung-yuen as the Commissioner. Thanks to Mr Pang's leadership, the Department has overcome many challenges in the past few years and grown from strength to strength.

With the tireless efforts and dedication of all staff in the Department, I am confident that 2007 will see the continuation of successful policies and development programmes in correctional institutions throughout Hong Kong. In this way, the CSD can maintain and advance the highest standards of custodial and rehabilitative services.

Mr KWOK Leung-ming CSDSM
Commissioner of Correctional Services