Administration and Planning
The Division is headed by an Administrative Officer Staff Grade C and comprises the following sections: Administration Section, Accounts Section, Integrated Technology Section, Information Technology Management Unit, Works and Planning Section, Public Relations and External Affairs Section, Media Communication Unit and Statistics Section.
The Public Relations Unit arranges press conferences to enhance public awareness of custodial work and rehabilitation arrangement.
Administration Section
Departmental Administration Unit provides administrative and logistical support for headquarters and penal institutions, covering resource management, green management, records and building management. It also performs grade management function for some 500 general and Workman II grades staff members. Personnel Unit handles all personnel matters for about 6 900 staff members, including salary and allowances, leave and passages, housing benefits, employee compensation and termination of service. The Unit is also responsible for maintaining personnel and payroll records in computerised systems. Appointments Unit handles recruitment and promotion exercises. Year-round recruitment of Assistant Officer II commenced in 2018 and about 22 civil service recruitment exercises were conducted in 2018. The number of intakes of civil servants from open recruitment in the year was around 478. Establishment Sub-unit oversees all establishment matters, including the creation and deletion of posts, temporary redeployment due to operational needs and the provision of secretarial services to the Departmental Establishment Committee. Internal Audit Sub-unit inspects financial and stores matters of all institutions to uphold government regulations and procedures. Translation Unit is responsible for the core translation services of the Department. It also processes applications of penal institutions for translation and interpretation services in non-official languages and dialects for persons in custody. Central Supplies Unit supervises administrative and financial matters relating to procurement, supplies, stores and equipment.
Annual total purchases in 2017-18 included the following items:
Institutional goods and equipment: $75.17 million
Clothing for persons in custody: $16.65 million
Staff uniform: $8.67 million
A seminar on grade management matters was arranged for Clerical Officers.
Accounts Section
The Accounts Section comprises the Departmental, Management and Industries Accounts Offices which are jointly responsible for all financial and accounting operations, including those pertaining to the Correctional Services Industries. Expenditure in 2018 was $3 986 million, excluding capital building works. This represents a 2.8% rise over 2017, mainly due to increased expenditure of salaries. Revenue collected from various sources during the year amounted to $96 million, including $63 million in rent from staff quarters. Purchases and recoveries under the Correctional Services Industries Suspense Account were $105 million and $124 million respectively.
Integrated Technology Section
The Integrated Technology Section consists of the e-Operations Office and the e-Administration Office. The Section works with the Information Technology Management Unit (ITMU) to provide information technology (IT) support for the Department’s daily operation, including planning, coordinating and implementing various IT projects and e-Government initiatives to enhance operational efficiency of the Department. The e-Operations Office is responsible for coordinating business requirements in collaboration with various Divisions, and maintaining network infrastructure and managing penal information systems to meet operational needs. The e-Administration Office focuses on coordinating business inputs in the management of administrative computer systems and projects, as well as maintenance of Departmental internet and intranet websites.
To keep abreast of the future development, Integrated Technology Section is actively renewing equipment in institutions to enhance systems and network infrastructure.
Information Technology Management Unit
The ITMU mainly comprising IT professionals was established in Correctional Services Department (CSD) in July 2018. The ITMU is mainly responsible for IT related functions and initiatives of the Department, including IT planning, implementation and operation; oversight and co-ordination of all IT projects / activities within the entire IT portfolio; providing strategic IT insights and advice to the business planning process; assisting in shaping and prioritising IT demand and IT resource allocation; working out IT plans and timetables to align with e-Government initiatives; leading IT development, developing e-Government solutions, and maintaining IT security policy and practice in accordance with the required standards.
Amongst various IT initiatives, in May 2016, the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council approved the funding of HK$353 million to implement the Integrated Custodial and Rehabilitation Management System (iCRMS) to replace the existing eight core operation systems with enhanced functions and upgrade the capacity of IT infrastructure. After a tendering exercise, the contract for iCRMS was awarded in May 2018, followed by system analysis and compilation of user requirements. Two iCRMS functions, namely canteen purchase using self-service kiosk and keys and equipment management using Radio Frequency IDentification technology, will be developed and rolled out as pilot in 2019. The overall iCRMS project is planned to be completed by 2022.
CSD plans to introduce smart elements in prisons, and to study and conduct tests in specific areas of individual institutions, using innovation and technology such as video analytics, etc. to modernise correctional facilities, with a view to enhancing the efficiency of prison management and level of security.
Information Technology Management Unit mainly responsible for leading IT development.
Works and Planning Section
The Works and Planning Section plans for the construction of new correctional institutions and the refurbishment of existing aged facilities in conjunction with Architectural Services Department (ArchSD) and Electrical and Mechanical Services Department. ArchSD and CSD received the Merit Award for the redevelopment of the Tai Lam Centre for Women under the Quality Building Award Scheme in 2018. Major projects completed in 2018 included upgrading the video storage capacity of the digital video recorder systems of the closed circuit television (CCTV) systems from 14 days to 31 days in relevant institutions. On the other hand, a proposal on the CSD Headquarters Building had been worked out while projects in progress included the installation of electric locks security systems in Stanley Prison and the non-redevelopment area of Tai Lam Centre for Women, the replacement and enhancement of the CCTV systems for seven correctional institutions (including Stanley Prison, Pak Sha Wan Correctional Institution, Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre, Tai Lam Correctional Institution, Tong Fuk Correctional Institution, Tung Tau Correctional Institution and Pik Uk Prison) as well as the construction of staff quarters for CSD at Tin Wan of Aberdeen.
Minor building projects in progress in 2018 included, amongst others, installing energy saving equipment and devices at various institutions, setting up a consolidated administration office for the institutions at Hei Ling Chau, and replacement of an internal alarm system at Pik Uk Correctional Institution.
The “Partial Redevelopment of Tai Lam Centre for Women” won the Merit Award of Quality Building Award 2018.
Public Relations and External Affairs Section
Public Relations and External Affairs Section is responsible for implementing a proactive external liaison and public relation strategy for the Department. The External Affairs Unit is responsible for coordinating visits and professional exchanges with counterparts of local, Mainland and overseas jurisdictions. This year, the External Affairs Unit continued to arrange visits to correctional facilities for visitors under the Sponsored Visitors Programme operated by the Information Services Department and students of local universities who are studying subjects related to Hong Kong’s legal system and correctional services. In view of the increasing population of persons in custody from other countries, the Unit maintains close liaison with the Consulates in the territory. It arranges sharing sessions and visits for the Consulates to correctional facilities, handles enquiries and provides assistance in dealing with the issues of their nationals during incarceration as appropriate. The Unit also coordinates the training of potential staff as Liaison Officers to provide protocol services to visiting delegations and guests of large-scale departmental events.
Separately, the Public Relations Unit is responsible for disseminating information about the Department's plans, services and activities to the media. It handles media enquiries, issues press releases, and arranges press briefings and conferences, interviews with correctional officers as well as media visits to institutions. It also publicises the Department's up-to-date mission of protecting the public and preventing crime for a better Hong Kong. In this connection, the Unit produces short videos, such as videos featuring sharing of the Rehabilitated Pioneer Leaders, CSD’s exhibition at the Hong Kong Flower Show, high jump athlete Cecilia Yeung taking part in the “Shall We Talk” broadcasting programme, the young persons in custody attending the Football Referee Training Course and having friendly soccer match with the youth team members of the Hong Kong Football Association as well as real rehabilitation stories and other activities of the Department. All short videos have been uploaded onto CSD YouTube Channel for public viewing to enhance understanding of our work. In addition, the Unit assists in and advises on the production of publicity items and TV and Radio Announcements in Public Interest, the Department's Annual Review and monthly newsletter, "The Guardian".
The External Affairs Unit maintains close liaison with the Consulates in the territory to strengthen rapport.
Launch of year-round recruitment of Assistant Officer II was announced at a press conference on 25.1.2018.
Media interviews with Correctional Services Dog Unit.
Media Communication Unit
With the rapid development of social media, the Department established a new Media Communication Unit in 2018 to promote not only the public awareness of the work of the Department but also to advocate offender rehabilitation and positive values among the youths and the community. Various series of videos were produced. Examples included "Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre – The CSD's first Rampart" in the series of “Inside Prison Walls”, “Correctional Officers under the storm”, “Combating Gambling Behind Bars by Strategies” under “CSD’s Trivia, Fun for Sharing”, “Your Sweat Is Not Shed in Vain” recording the CSD's Passing-out Parade, as well as Rehabilitation Pioneer Project -“One Training, Multiple Experiences”, and “Women Who Shine Through the Wall” in the series of “The Encounter Between Fa Che and Fa Sze Nai” etc. The videos were uploaded onto the CSD YouTube Channel and the "Rehabilitation Pioneer Project" Facebook page.
Media Communication Unit produces videos to enhance public understanding of the work of the Department and to promote offender rehabilitation and positive values among the youths and the community.
Statistics Section
The Section provides statistical support for the strategic planning, monitoring and review of the Department’s operation and correctional programmes. In addition to the compilation of statistical reports to meet the management need, the Section has made the penal population projections to provide assessments of future operational needs. It also helps monitor drug abuse incidence of persons in custody before admission, self-harm, violent and disciplinary behaviours of persons in custody and recidivism of local rehabilitated offenders after discharge to help enhance the effectiveness of correctional services and facilitate policy formulation.
