Quality Assurance

Embarking on the last year of my service, it is delighted to see a solid foundation and an effective mechanism being in place to ensure the continuous improvement of the service standard of the Department.

As a cornerstone of the Department to pursue quality service, the Division is committed to uphold the service standard of the Department. Striving to be proactive, rather than reactive where possible, the Quality Assurance Division continues to spearhead enhancement to cope with the new challenges emerging from the changing society and penal environment. The year of 2008 was an exceptionally productive and rewarding one with a lot of initiatives launched and achievements fulfilled. I want to acknowledge the commitment of all staff, whose dedication and professionalism allowed us to successfully accomplish the targets established.

Looking forward to the forthcoming year, the Division will continue to develop its technological capabilities for enhancement of operation and security of the Department. Ongoing efforts and input of resources in professional training for our personnel will also be emphasised. I am confident that the Division can develop further on the foundations already in place to pursue quality service for the Department.

YEUNG Kwun-wah
Assistant Commissioner (Quality Assurance)

Inspectorate and Security Unit

Staff members carry out bars testing to ensure secure custody.

The Inspectorate and Security Unit is playing the role of advisory and monitoring of custodial activities with reference to current ordinances, rules, regulations and departmental policies. In executing its role, the Unit conducts inspections, surprise visits and security checks to respective institutions. To facilitate monitoring and formulating strategies on all security aspects, the Unit operates a Central Intelligence Pool to collate information and intelligence from institutional security officers.

Inspectorate Sub-unit is dedicated to providing systematic and high quality inspections to ensure that departmental policies are being followed, rules and regulations duly complied with, approved practices and standards consistently maintained, and resources gainfully deployed to enhance efficiency.  

In 2008, the Inspectorate Sub-unit conducted a total of five full inspections, nine thematic inspections, 14 follow-up inspections, 13 security inspections and carried out 13 surprise visits to various institutions.

Searching prisoners' external orifice is an effective measure to prevent smuggling of dangerous drugs or prohibited articles into penal institutions.

Aside from its core business, the Inspectorate Sub-unit implemented a number of new initiatives in 2008, which included the rolling out of the Scoring System for Full Inspection; uploading the common non-compliances observed during inspections to institutions and observations extracted from Board of Enquiries onto the "Smart QA Info", a specific column on CSD Intranet designed for experience sharing with institutional staff; launching the Training Attachment Programme for frontline Officers to participate in the inspections; and delivery of talks on inspections by QAD Inspectors at institutional monthly seminars. To facilitate the making of reference to the HQ Memos/Instructions enshrined in the Inspection Checklist, a user-friendly hyperlink has been created on CSD Intranet to allow viewers a real time access to these documents easily and conveniently.

The Security Sub-unit has made every effort to stamp out the smuggling of contraband into penal institutions, ensuring a drug-free environment for the safe custody of offenders. In 2008, there were 93 seizures of dangerous drugs, of which 89 cases (about 95%) were intercepted on the doorstep of institutions. To continue our strive towards combating against smuggling of contraband, four more units of Narcotics & Explosive Detection and Identification System (NEDIS) were procured in 2008 and installed at four penal institutions making a total of 13 units.

The Sub-unit will continue to conduct thorough security checks and reinforce intelligence network including intelligence exchanges with other law enforcement agencies to eradicate the smuggling of dangerous drugs into penal institutions.

The deterrence of gambling and illicit activities in correctional facilities is also an important mission of the Security Sub-unit for maintaining an environment conducive to the rehabilitation of offenders. Based on sound intelligence and frequent searching operations, any gambling and illicit activities are forestalled. In 2008, 88 joint searching operations, 289 special searching operations and 24 night raid operations were conducted in institutions with fruitful results. We believe that successful deterrence to gambling activities and illicit activities is a solid foundation for a peaceful and harmonious correctional environment conducive to the rehabilitation of offenders.

Complaints Investigation Unit

Security staff in regular inspection inside correctional institutions.

The Complaints Investigation Unit (CIU) is an independent establishment appointed by the Commissioner of Correctional Services to handle and investigate all complaints expeditiously, thoroughly and impartially within its purview under an ISO certified system. It aims at redressing grievances, preventing similar complaints and achieving continual improvement in service quality. The findings of all complaint cases are critically examined by the Correctional Services Department Complaints Committee (CSDCC). CSDCC also serves the complainants with re-examinations of their aggrieved cases while the Commissioner handles their further appeals.

Gambling paraphernalia seized by staff.

Since the accreditation of the ISO 9001:2000 quality management standard in 2002, CIU has been committed to providing complaints handling services conforming to the internationally recognised standard, with emphasis on customer satisfaction and continual improvement. To effectively measure the satisfaction level of the complainants and complainees, Customer Satisfaction Surveys are conducted in terms of mannerism, professionalism and efficiency of the services provided by CIU. By the standard of ISO 9001:2008, the services of CIU stand successful in achieving a satisfaction rating over 90% in 2008.

As an initiative for continual improvement, CIU prepared for the "Smart QA Info" with useful information comprising complaints statistics, recommendations as endorsed by CSDCC for service improvement as well as Cases of Interest. The relevant information is updated quarterly to keep the staff posted of the latest situation.

To further acquaint frontline staff with the complaints handling mechanism, CIU delivered four introductory talks to 117 attendees of Intermediate Command Course as well as two lectures to 51 middle managers from penal institutions participating in the Management Development and Training Programme for mid-career Officers.

During 2008, a total of 162 complaints lodged by prisoners and the public and 132 non-complaints were received by CIU. CSDCC implemented 168 separate assessments of cases handled by CIU on completion of investigation, among which one filed case was concluded as "substantiated" and two were concluded as "substantiated other than reported" and "not fully substantiated" respectively. In the course of assessments, CSDCC made 31 recommendations on corrective and preventive actions.

Management Services Unit

The Management Services Unit carries out management studies and helps research in advanced technology for enhancement of operation and security of the Department.

In 2008, the Unit, in conjunction with the Penal Operations Section and Integrated Technology Section, developed the "Logging Audit" of staff access to departmental Penal Record Information System. This move is aimed at enhancing measures to fortify existing monitoring and security control on staff access to personal data stored therein. Apart from publishing the Hong Kong Correctional Services Standard on "Visiting Facilities for Inmates", pivotal to quality management and enhancement of services of the Department, the Unit also explored the application of "Video Analytics" in CCTV surveillance systems to enhance the operation and security of penal institutions. It also re-visited the application of body scanner to enhance the searching on prisoner.

Relevant legislation under CSD's purview, departmental standing orders and operational manuals are constantly reviewed in response to operational needs and demands arising from the changing environment in society.

Electrostatic drug detectors are used by security staff to detect drugs through electrostatic-magnetic attraction.