Youth Network

Public acceptance of and support for rehabilitated offenders could help them break the vicious cycle of reoffending, thereby building a safer and more inclusive society. To this end, public education is indispensable.

In recent years, the Department has proactively extended its reach beyond the prison walls by reaching out to the community. Through 10 activities under the “Rehabilitation Pioneer Project” (RPP), the Department disseminates to young people the messages of leading a law-abiding and drug-free life as well as supporting offender rehabilitation. The Department seeks to reduce crime at source by organising a wide range of activities for the promotion of offender rehabilitation in different sectors to appeal for public support and participation.

The target participants of the RPP include general students and youngsters. A youth uniformed group “Rehabilitation Pioneer Leaders” (RPLs) has also been established to nurture young leaders, so that they can assist the Department in promoting law-abiding and inclusive values as well as soliciting support for offender rehabilitation in the community. Following the addition of two sub-groups “Island District” and “Kowloon and the New Territories District” in 2019, the Department expanded the original establishment of RPL in 2020 by creating two additional District Directors and one Leader, with a view to providing more diversified and systematic training to attract more youngsters to join. In 2020, in order to prevent the further spread of COVID-19, all schools in Hong Kong were suspended. During such period, the Department launched an interview series named “RPL chit-chat”, which invited professionals and celebrities from different sectors to share with RPL trainees the importance of life planning and the highlights of different sectors through the web conferencing platform, with a view to achieving the goal of “suspending classes without suspending learning”. At the same time, the “Training on the Operation of Online Channel” was launched under which RPL trainees uploaded videos of interviews produced by them onto social media and disseminated crime prevention and anti-epidemic messages. Participants can obtain training in running an online platform and become “KOLs”, so that they can better understand this emerging industry.

Auctioneer, Miss Hui Ying, is invited to be one of the guests of the programme to share with RPL trainees her bitter-sweet career.

To further enhance the effectiveness of community education, the RPP co-organised with the Care of Rehabilitated Offenders Association a brand-new adventure-based educational programme named “Mission in Prison” (MIP). The programme is based on the escape room approach, incorporated with elements of role-playing, problem-solving and team-building, as well as the concept of smart prison, turning a real prison into a unique “classroom”. Acting as correctional officers, participants are required to accomplish a variety of problem-solving tasks and carry out a series of investigations, so that they can better understand the actual duties of correctional officers. After the trial run, the MIP has opened for applications by school organisations and teams formed by individual students at the beginning of 2021. More community stakeholders and schools will also be invited to participate in the programme.

Reaching out to the Community

Apart from facilitating offender rehabilitation, the Department has been making its best endeavours to reach out to the community, both in depth and breadth, with a view to enhancing the public understanding of the Department and soliciting community support for persons in custody. For example, major government officials and prominent community leaders are invited to visit correctional institutions and share with the persons in custody from time to time. Through visitors’ sharing of their personal experience, blessings and encouragement, persons in custody could feel supported by the community, which would reinforce their determination to repent and turn over a new leaf.

The Public Relations Unit (PRU) disseminates the information about different programmes implemented by the Department to the media, and enables the public to obtain a better understanding of the institutions and the daily duties of correctional officers through media visits and interviews. Besides, the PRU is responsible for the timely update of the departmental promotional videos, the compilation of the Annual Review of the Department and the publication of the departmental monthly newsletter, The Guardian, to enable the general public to obtain the latest information of the Department.

In addition, established in 2018, the Media Communication Unit (MCU) has produced a large number of short videos using novel shooting methods and basing on innovative story outlines, to enhance public understanding of correctional work and promote rehabilitative messages and positive values to the young people and the community. Some of these videos have won several awards.

Apart from producing videos, the Department has been proactively exploring the use of different media platforms in recent years to publicise the work of the Department to members of the public, especially the young people. At the end of 2020, an official Facebook page was set up to disseminate the latest and correct information about the Department to the public in a more timely and effective manner.

At the Department’s invitation, international movie star Mr Donnie Yen and his wife visit the hairstyling workshop and “Café Rehapuccino” at Pik Uk Correctional Institution on the eve of Father’s Day. The couple shares their personal experience with young persons in custody and encourages them to treasure the opportunities to meet their families and mend their family relationships.

Former athlete Mr Alex Fong visits Pik Uk Correctional Institution to attend an interview in the “Youth Broadcasting Programme – Shall We Talk”. He shares with the young persons in custody the ups and downs of his athlete career, and encourages them to convert their negative emotions into strength in times of adversity.

The Commissioner of Correctional Services, Mr Woo Ying-ming, speaks to the media to disseminate law-abiding messages to the community. He emphasises the trauma and damage brought by imprisonment to offenders, especially young offenders and their families, and advises young people to think twice before any actions.

In an interview with a Mainland TV station, the Commissioner of Correctional Services, Mr Woo Ying-ming, says that the Department, based on the principle of “Correction first and Rehabilitation follows”, is committed to helping persons in custody develop a law-abiding concept first. Education will then be provided through various courses including services from Clinical Psychologists to help persons in custody rectify their criminogenic mindset, re-evaluate themselves, and enhance their analytical ability. Moreover, the Department will facilitate them to obtain a good understanding of the development and history of the Motherland.

Deputy Commissioner of Correctional Services, Mr Wong Kwok-hing, tells the media during an interview that the Department strives to help persons in custody serving a lengthy prison term achieve self-enhancement, reflect on their wrongdoings, and develop positive values through a series of support programmes, such as the “Sentence Planning Scheme”.

CSD’s Assistant Commissioner (Operations), Mr Ng Chiu-kok, briefs the media on several projects for improving the penal environment.

CSD’s Assistant Commissioner (Rehabilitation), Mr Wan Ming-ki, briefs the media on the implementation details of the trial run of the “Persons in Custody’s Self-learning System” for Category A persons in custody and its future development.

CSD’s General Manager (Industries and Vocational Training), Mr Leung Chi-wai, introduces to the media the operations of the filter mask workshop at Stanley Prison.

Mr Ho Kwok-man, the then Principal of the CSD’s Staff Training Institute, introduces to the media the innovative learning mode provided to trainees by the e-Staff Training Institute.

CSD’s Principal II Ms Siu Pui-fan (first left), Senior Clinical Psychologist Ms Kwong Yee-wah (second left), and a young person in custody who will sit for the HKDSE exams, attend a media interview on education and psychological support services provided to young persons in custody.

During a media visit to a correctional institution, a young person in custody talks about his daily life at the institution. Through media reports, the general public can obtain a better understanding of the hard life in prison and thus refrain from breaking the law.

The Public Relations Unit has coordinated the shooting of the latest departmental video, which aims to introduce the main duties of the CSD to the public.

The Media Communication Unit has produced a large number of videos to enhance public understanding of the Department’s duties.

The Department has launched its Facebook page to reach out to the public.

Walk with YOUth Programme

The CSD and the Hong Kong Police Force jointly organised the “Walk with YOUth Programme”. Capitalising on the valuable experience and unique strengths of both departments in crime prevention and offender rehabilitation, volunteers from the CSD and the Police work hand in hand to organise rehabilitation activities for young persons in custody to help them establish correct values and rebuild a positive life, thereby enhancing the anti-crime awareness among young people in society and reducing the recidivism rate.