Quality Assurance
With a view to strengthening the secure and humane management of persons in custody, the Quality Assurance Division (QAD) conducted timely review and initiated enhancements to uphold the performance standard of the Department and to accomplish the Strategic Plan worked out in 2018.
Inspectorate and Security Unit
The Inspectorate Sub-unit provides 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.
The provision of institutional activities inspection was accredited under ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System where a risk-based approach was adopted. This allowed the inspection activities to tactfully focus on the imminent operational risks found in institutions.
The Inspectorate Sub-unit conducts thematic inspection to correctional institutions.
Last year, the Inspectorate Sub-unit conducted a total of 4 full inspections, 16 thematic inspections, 19 follow-up inspections, 7 security inspections and 12 surprise visits to various correctional facilities.
The Security Sub-unit made every effort to stamp out the smuggling of contraband into correctional institutions for a drug-free environment. In 2018, there were 25 cases of discovering dangerous drugs, and all were intercepted on the doorstep of the institutions.
Last year, the Security Sub-Unit conducted 150 joint searching operations, 7930 special searching operations and 150 night raid operations in correctional facilities in which unauthorised articles were seized.
On the training front, the Inspectorate and Security Unit arranged job-related sharing and training sessions with professional academics about “Areas of Misconduct in Public Office” and “Legal Procedures on Small Claims”.
Security Sub-Unit
Staff displayed the gambling paraphernalia and contraband seized in the operations at the press briefing on anti-gambling operations ahead of World Cup 2018.
Unauthorised articles are seized during various searching operartions conducted by CSD.
Management Services and Research Unit
In 2018, with a view to broadening and deepening the research capacity of CSD, the Legal Research Unit of the Human Resource Division was restructured under the Quality Assurance Division, forming the following three sub-units under the Management Services and Research Unit: Management Services Sub-unit, Research Sub-unit and Legal Research Sub-unit.
CSD won the award of “Excellent Change Management Award” from the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management in May 2018, which was a recognition to the Departmental culture of progressiveness in innovation and willing to change.
The Management Services Sub-unit constantly reviews relevant legislation under the Department's purview, departmental standing orders and operational manuals to ensure that they are able to cater for operational needs and meet the demands arising from the changing environment in society. CSD launched in 2017 the new Vision, Mission and Values statement to reflect the Department’s role and focus on its long-term development more appropriately, and won the award of “Excellent Change Management Award” from the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management in May 2018. It was a recognition of the departmental culture of progressiveness in innovation and willingness to change.
Apart from introducing advanced technology products such as flammable liquid detector, the Sub-unit also conducts researches in the application of innovative technology to enhance security system and operational efficiency. CSD worked in collaboration with EMSD on a pilot test of a robotic arm system for intercepting dangerous drugs in the excrement of persons in custody, so as to replace the manual obnoxious work of frontline staff. The system was expected to be on trial in early 2019.
CSD worked in collaboration with EMSD on a pilot test of a robotic arm system for intercepting dangerous drugs in the excrement of persons in custody, so as to replace the manual obnoxious work of frontline staff.
Staff demonstrated the use of the newly introduced flammable liquid detector to prevent flammable liquids from being brought into the correctional institution by visitors.
The Research Sub-unit provides research support for the strategic planning, monitoring and review of the Department’s operation and correctional programmes. It also assists the Department in facilitating exchange of information, experience and best practices with overseas correctional authorities through participation in international conferences and forums, such as Asian and Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators (APCCA), International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA) Annual Conference, etc.
The Legal Research Sub-unit coordinates legal consulting work of legal issues with departmental-wide implication. It also provides legal reference materials to colleagues for self-enhancement and work skills improvement.
Complaints Investigation Unit
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. With a view to continuously improving its work efficiency and risk management, after successfully converting to ISO 9001:2015, CIU will continue to study relevant aspects in a bid to further enhance the quality of service.
In 2018, CIU received 340 complaints/requests/enquiries from persons in custody, the public and staff. Among them, 81 complaint cases entailed full investigation by CIU, 46 complaint cases entailed handling by institutions under CIU monitoring, and 213 were requests/enquiries. Besides, CSDCC examined and endorsed the investigation reports on a total of 98 complaint cases and made 32 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. To widen the structure of the CSDCAB and further enhance the independence of the reviewing mechanism, the number of non-official members has been increased from 10 to 18. Apart from Justices of the Peace, religious persons who are acquainted with correctional operations also participate.
Counter Terrorism Unit
In recent years, terrorist activities around the globe and their trend have been changing with diversified modus operandi, which has presented grave challenges to the security and safety of cities worldwide, including Hong Kong.
Under the coordination of the Security Bureau, the Inter-Departmental Counter Terrorism Unit (ICTU) was set up on 23 April 2018, with deployment of officers from six disciplined services. The ICTU is dedicated to monitoring the global terrorism trend and counter-terrorism (CT) measures, reviewing and improving CT strategies in Hong Kong, developing specialised CT training, optimising various emergency response plans, etc.
To strengthen the preparedness for handling potential terrorist threat and to cooperate with ICTU, the Department has established its own Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) in April 2018. Apart from discharging the duties of ICTU, CTU members are responsible for coordinating and collecting CT-related intelligence and handling of CT-related issues in the departmental context.
