Quality Assurance

Quality Assurance Division (QAD) conducted timely review and initiated enhancements for upholding the performance standard of the Department in 2017.

The Inspectorate Sub-unit serves as internal audit to provide systematic and quality inspections to correctional facilities to ensure departmental policies are followed, rules and regulations duly complied with, approved practices and standards consistently maintained, and resources gainfully deployed to enhance efficiency.

During last year, the Inspectorate Sub-unit conducted a total of 5 full inspections, 23 thematic inspections, 24 follow-up inspections, 8 security inspections and 12 surprise visits to various correctional facilities.

The provision of institutional activities inspection was accredited under ISO 9001 Quality Management System since 2004. To uphold the performance standard and strengthen the element of risk-based thinking, it was further certified under ISO 9001:2015 in November 2017.

The Security Sub-unit made every effort to stamp out the smuggling of contrabands into correctional institutions for a drug-free environment. In 2017, there were 30 cases of discovering dangerous drugs, and all were intercepted on the doorstep of the institutions.

During last year, the Security Sub-Unit conducted 7 692 searching operations in correctional facilities, which included special searching operations, night raid operations and joint searching operations.

On the training front, the Inspectorate and Security Unit arranged job-related sharing and training sessions with other law enforcement agencies and professional academics on “Trends of New Dangerous Drugs”, “Triad Situation in Hong Kong” and “Complaint Investigation and Interviewing Techniques”.

The Management Services Sub-unit constantly reviews the relevant legislation under the Department's purview, departmental standing orders and operational manuals to ensure that they are in line with operational needs and able to meet the demands arising from the changing environment in society. On 1 February 2017, the new Vision, Mission and Value statement of the Department was launched to reflect the Department’s role and focus on its long-term development more appropriately. CSD was awarded the Bronze Prize of Departmental Service Enhancement Award under Civil Service Outstanding Service Award Scheme 2017, recognising the achievement of and contribution made by the Department in the aspect of preventing crime by starting with the root causes and helping rehabilitated persons to reintegrate into the community.

The Management Services Sub-unit also conducts researches in the application of technology for operational and security enhancement, and works in collaboration with local academies on exploration of innovation technology. In 2017, the Department has launched two Research and Development (R&D) projects, namely a virtual reality system for strategic operation training and smart wearable tag and monitoring system for Correctional Services, with a local government funded R&D centre. Both projects are funded under “Public Sector Trial Scheme” of the Innovation and Technology Commission, the Government of HKSAR.

The virtual reality system is a simulated scenario training system which provides staff with skills on handling untoward incidents. The Smart Wearable Tag and Monitoring System aims to enhance the management of location tracking on persons in custody outside correctional institutions.

The Research Sub-unit supports the Department by conducting researches and analysis relating to correctional and rehabilitation programmes, departmental operations and administration. It also assists the Department in maintaining professional exchanges with overseas correctional counterparts through participation in major international conferences and forums, such as Asian and Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators (APCCA), International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA) Annual Conference, etc.

The Complaints Investigation Unit (CIU) is an independent establishment appointed by the Commissioner of Correctional Services to handle and investigate all complaints within its purview expeditiously, thoroughly and impartially under the ISO Quality Management Systems aiming at redressing grievances, preventing similar complaints and bringing continual improvement in overall service quality. For check and balance, Correctional Services Department Complaints Committee (CSDCC) is vested with the authority to examine all investigation findings handled by CIU.

Customer Satisfaction Surveys are conducted in order to gauge satisfaction with CIU services. In 2017, the satisfaction rating was over 90%. With a view to continuously improving its work efficiency and risk management, CIU successfully completed the ISO 9001:2015 conversion surveillance audit in December 2017 and will spare no effort in a bid to further enhance the quality of service.

In 2017, CIU received 339 complaints / requests / enquiries from persons in custody, the public and staff. Among them, 123 complaint cases entailed full investigation by CIU, 55 complaint cases entailed handling by institutions under CIU monitoring, and 161 were requests / enquiries. Besides, CSDCC examined and endorsed the investigation reports on a total of 95 complaint cases and made 23 recommendations for service improvement.

The Correctional Services Department Complaints Appeal Board (CSDCAB) is established for making final decision on the appeal cases against the findings endorsed by CSDCC. The Deputy Commissioner of Correctional Services is the Chairman of CSDCAB and its non-official members are prominent community members familiarised with the correctional regime. Currently, 10 persons (all of them are Non-official Justices of the Peace) are appointed to be the non-official members.