In order to protect the public and prevent crime for a better Hong Kong, the Correctional Services Department (CSD) is committed to ensuring a secure, safe, humane, decent and healthy custodial environment. The outbreak of the fifth wave of the COVID-19 epidemic in early 2022 affected the daily operation of correctional institutions. Thanks to the dedicated efforts and swift response of all correctional officers who carried out various anti-epidemic measures in a timely manner, the spread of the virus within correctional institutions was successfully contained. On the other hand, with strong determination to guard the last element of Hong Kong’s criminal justice system, the Department will never allow its prisons from being turned into bases for subversion against China and Hong Kong. The institutional management has stayed vigilant in preventing people involved in the black-clad violence from challenging the management or even carrying out activities that endanger national security.
The annual number of new admissions (including convicted persons, remands and detainees) was 13 246 in 2022, representing a decrease of 13 per cent from the 15 311 admissions in 2021. However, the overall penal population has remained high. In 2022, the average daily penal population at correctional facilities was 7 613 persons, which was similar to 7 616 in 2021. The average daily number of remands hit a decade high, from 1 388 persons in 2012 to 2 666 persons in 2022, representing an increase of 92 per cent.
The CSD operates nine correctional institutions for adult male persons in custody. Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre accommodates persons awaiting trial and newly-convicted persons pending classification and allocation to appropriate correctional institutions. Adult persons in custody on long-term sentences, including life imprisonment, are accommodated in maximum-security Stanley Prison or Shek Pik Prison. Tong Fuk Correctional Institution, Hei Ling Chau Correctional Institution and Pak Sha Wan Correctional Institution are medium-security institutions for accommodating adult male persons in custody. There are three minimum-security institutions, namely Tung Tau Correctional Institution, Pik Uk Prison and Tai Lam Correctional Institution. Elderly persons in custody of low security risk (normally aged 65 and above) are accommodated in Tai Lam Correctional Institution. Pik Uk Correctional Institution, a maximum-security institution, accommodates young males under the age of 21 who are sentenced to imprisonment or remanded in custody. Tai Tam Gap Correctional Institution is a minimum-security institution for the detention of male adult detainees under the Immigration Ordinance.
In 2022, there were 4 712 admissions of males aged 21 or above to correctional institutions for serving their sentences while 4 149 were remanded in custody. For males under the age of 21, there were 81 admissions to correctional institutions for serving their sentences while 482 were remanded in custody. Besides, there were 190 admissions of detainees to Tai Tam Gap Correctional Institution.
Tai Lam Centre for Women is a maximum-security institution functioning as a remand centre and a prison for adult women. Lo Wu Correctional Institution is an institution for female adults, with one minimum-security wing and two medium-security wings. Young females under the age of 21, who are sentenced to imprisonment or remanded in custody, are all accommodated in Lai King Correctional Institution.
In 2022, there were 1 779 admissions of females aged 21 or above to correctional institutions for serving their sentences while 1 132 were remanded in custody. For females under the age of 21, there were 10 admissions for serving their sentences while 84 were remanded in custody.
Training Centres provide correctional training for young persons in custody aged between 14 and 20 for a training period ranging from a minimum of six months to a maximum of three years. They are provided with half-day educational classes and half-day vocational training as well as character development programmes. Upon release, young persons in custody should have suitable employment, education or vocational training and are subject to a statutory period of supervision of three years.
In 2022, the numbers of admissions of young males and females to training centres were 66 and 16 respectively.
The detention centre programme is carried out at Sha Tsui Correctional Institution for young male detainees aged between 14 and 20, and young male adults aged between 21 and 24. The programme emphasises strict discipline, strenuous training, hard work and a vigorous routine. After release, they are subject to a statutory supervision period of one year.
In 2022, the numbers of admissions of detainees under the age of 21 and aged 21 to 25 to Sha Tsui Correctional Institution were 67 and six respectively.
Rehabilitation Centres provide training to deal with young persons in custody aged between 14 and 20, and in need of a short-term residential rehabilitation programme. The programme consists of two phases with a total period of detention ranging from three to nine months. Discharged young persons in custody are subject to a period of statutory supervision of one year.
In 2022, the numbers of admissions of male and female young persons in custody to rehabilitation centres were 58 and 20 respectively.
Drug Addiction Treatment Centres provide compulsory treatment for drug addicts, who are required to undergo in-centre treatment for a period ranging from two to 12 months, followed by one year’s statutory supervision. The programme includes therapeutic treatments, discipline training, work programmes, outdoor physical activities and comprehensive supervision services.
In 2022, the numbers of admissions of adult and young persons in custody to drug addiction treatment centres were 360 and 34 respectively. Among them, 326 were males and 68 were females.
Despite a series of countermeasures taken by the CSD, confirmed cases involving correctional officers and persons in custody were gradually found in correctional institutions amid a surge of infected cases in the community during the fifth wave of the COVID-19 epidemic. With a view to alleviating the burden on the public healthcare system, the Department, with the support of Medical Officers seconded to the CSD from the Department of Health (DH), turned Sha Tsui Correctional Institution, Cape Collinson Correctional Institution and Phoenix House into temporary isolation facilities and set up quarantine or isolation zones in various institutions to handle confirmed cases or persons in custody who were required to undergo isolation or quarantine.
In view of the epidemic development, the Department took temporary measures to adjust the visit service in order to reduce the flow of visitors and social contact inside and outside prisons to prevent the transmission of the virus into institutions, thus avoiding large-scale outbreaks. Besides, with a view to detecting infected cases in correctional institutions and cutting the silent transmission chains, the Department implemented the “lock-up routine” in correctional institutions for conducting comprehensive virus testing. Through COVID-19 nucleic acid and rapid antigen tests, multiple transmission chains and infected cases were successfully detected in different institutions and the concerned persons in custody were isolated for observation.
In addition to the application of advanced anti-epidemic technologies and equipment to disinfect and cleanse premises under the charge of the CSD, the institutional management also took a series of anti-epidemic measures, including arranging for all correctional staff and persons in custody to conduct rapid antigen tests daily, and arranging for newly admitted persons in custody to undergo virus tests and isolation for observation, in order to identify as early as possible asymptomatic patients and reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to safeguard the health of staff and persons in custody.
The Department also encouraged and arranged for correctional officers to receive COVID-19 vaccination to support the Government’s appeal to “protect themselves and others”. As at 31 December 2022, over 99 per cent of correctional officers got vaccinated. Besides, the Department has launched a voluntary vaccination programme for persons in custody since July 2021, under which persons in custody are arranged to be vaccinated in a timely manner according to their wishes. As at the end of 2022, about 91 per cent of persons in custody got vaccinated.
Thanks to all correctional officers who remained steadfast in duties in the fight against the epidemic, the Department succeeded in building a secure safety net for the custodial environment.
Persons in custody tested positive are arranged to be transferred to isolation facilities set up by the Department.
Correctional officers inspect persons in custody isolated for treatment and observation.
A correctional officer carries out disinfection at an institution.
The Commissioner of Correctional Services, Mr Wong Kwok-hing, visits an isolation zone to show support for frontline officers.
The year 2022 marked the second anniversary of the promulgation of the National Security Law. While society restores stability and advances to prosperity, a large number of people who were involved in black-clad violence or violated the offences under the National Security Law have been remanded or sentenced. As such, the number of young persons in custody accommodated in Pik Uk Correctional Institution in Sai Kung has increased accordingly. Keeping a close eye on the situation, the Department deployed resources to meet the actual operational needs, converting part of Sha Tsui Correctional Institution on Lantau Island into a training centre and relocating inmates of training centres accommodated in Pik Uk Correctional Institution to Sha Tsui Correctional Institution, thereby freeing up more space for Pik Uk Correctional Institution to accommodate other young persons in custody. The Department will keep monitoring the changes in penal population and devise appropriate resource deployment plans.
In 2022, the number of admissions to correctional institutions owning to involvement in offences relating to black-clad violence or the contravention of the National Security Law was 829, representing a decrease of 16 per cent from 985 in 2021. Some of them are radicals or highly educated people who attempted to make use of their influence to build up forces against the institutional management, posing threats to institutional order and discipline. To tackle these threats and challenges, the Department has adopted the “pre-emptive” approach to prevent such problems from brewing and fermenting in correctional institutions. In addition to enhancing the intelligence network and monitoring, persons in custody were assigned to different correctional institutions in accordance with the established mechanism, having regard to their backgrounds, offences committed and influence so as to prevent them from building up forces. If persons in custody are found to have committed acts of indiscipline, challenged institutional management through different means, or even endangered national security, correctional officers will take immediate actions or even call in the Regional Response Team (RRT) to render support, with a view to resolving the problems swiftly with concerted effort, thereby preventing the problems from escalating. In 2022, the RRT was deployed to carry out six large-scale operations against illicit activities by persons in custody at Stanley Prison, Tai Tam Gap Correctional Institution, Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre (three times) and Hei Ling Chau Correctional Institution in order to ensure a secure and safe custodial environment.
The Department endeavoured to combat the private concealment of contraband in the past year. The number of disciplinary charges against persons in custody, which resulted in punishment, for unauthorised possession of articles declined from 1 441 in 2021 to 1 297 in 2022, representing a decrease of 10 per cent.
The Department has been actively taking different measures to combat any forms of illicit activities within institutions, and to stop external bodies from inducing persons in custody to maintain radical thoughts, spreading to them information endangering national security and attempting to recruit forces inside correctional institutions against the management through different means. The Department will remain steadfast in its role as the last element of the criminal justice system and will never allow any institutions to become a base for subversion against China and Hong Kong.
In 2022, the Department introduced various innovation and technology projects such as “Robotic Monitoring System 2.0”, “Persons in Custody E-message Platform” and “Contactless Vital Sign Monitoring System” in Shek Pik Prison, Stanley Prison and Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre respectively. Besides, funding was successfully secured from the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council for the installation of “Persons in Custody Integrated Intelligent Communication System” in correctional institutions.
The Department has introduced the “Robotic Monitoring System 2.0” to Shek Pik Prison to assist correctional officers to step up patrols and monitoring.
The Department has introduced the “Persons in Custody E-message Platform” to Stanley Prison, through which eligible persons in custody can receive and send electronic messages at specified time and places in the prison.
In the course of actively developing the “Smart Prison”, the Department is pleased to share its journey to and experience in building the “Smart Prison” with outside parties to make joint efforts in promoting the development of innovation and technology in Hong Kong under the concept of wisdom sharing. For instance, the Department was invited to participate in the “International ICT Expo” organised by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from 13 to 16 October 2022. Two innovation and technology projects, namely the “Contactless Vital Sign Monitoring System” of the Smart Prison Protocol Unit and “AI Chinese-style Foot Drill Learning Station” of the Hong Kong Correctional Services Academy, were showcased in the “Smart Government Pavilion”. Officers of the CSD introduced the design and application of the projects to members of the public, and answered their enquiries about the relevant technologies.
The Department showcases the “Contactless Vital Sign Monitoring System” of the Smart Prison Protocol Unit in the “Smart Government Pavilion” at the “International ICT Expo”.
In addition, the Department participated in the “Inno@E&M Open Day 2022” organised by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) at its Headquarters in Kowloon Bay from 4 to 6 November 2022, and showcased technology projects “Persons in Custody Integrated Intelligent Communication System” and “Contactless Vital Sign Monitoring System” introduced in recent years, thereby enabling the public to better understand the application of innovation and technology in correctional services. The Department looks forward to working with all sectors of the community to promote the development of “Smart Government”.
The Department participates in the “Inno@E&M Open Day 2022”.
The Department’s development of “Smart Prison” has also been widely recognised by various sectors of the community. The Department joined hands with the EMSD and the system contractor to participate in the “International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva 2022” with the “Contactless Vital Sign Monitoring System”. In mid-March 2022, the above project was awarded the Silver Medal in the exhibition in which about 800 inventions from 25 countries and regions were showcased and assessed by the International Experts Assessment Panel. In addition, the Department won the Silver Prize of the “Excellence in Service Enhancement (Large Department Category)” with “Develop Smart Prison – Create a Brand New Management Model” in the “Civil Service Outstanding Service Award Scheme 2022”. These results were encouraging.
The Department wins the Silver Prize of the “Excellence in Service Enhancement (Large Department Category)” with “Develop Smart Prison - Create a Brand New Management Model”.
The “Contactless Vital Sign Monitoring System” wins the Silver Medal in “International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva 2022”.
There are on-premises hospitals staffed by qualified personnel in all correctional facilities where round-the-clock basic health care services are provided with the support of the DH. Persons in custody at Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre are attended to by visiting psychiatrists from the Hospital Authority (HA). Besides, visiting medical specialists, such as dentists, surgeons, orthopedic surgeons and ophthalmologists from the HA or the DH provide regular consultations and treatments to persons in custody.
The telemedicine consultation service has been introduced for over eight years since June 2014. Upon discussion with the CSD, the HA approved the regularisation of the psychiatric telemedicine consultation service in August 2018. Apart from Castle Peak Hospital under the HA, the service has been extended to the West Kowloon Psychiatric Centre, North District Hospital and East Kowloon Psychiatric Centre. Later, in 2020 and 2021, the service was further extended to the Western Psychiatric Centre, Queen Mary Hospital, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Yung Fung Shee Memorial Centre and Queen Elizabeth Hospital (Medicine). In the past, only Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre has been installed with telemedicine consultation facilities. Such installation has been extended to Tai Lam Centre for Women, Lo Wu Correctional Institution, Hei Ling Chau Addiction Treatment Centre, Stanley Prison and Shek Pik Prison for providing telemedicine consultation service to persons in custody.
The Department will continue to work closely with the HA to consider the feasibility of extending the telemedicine consultation service to other psychiatric and specialty clinics of the HA. Besides, the Department will actively consider equipping other correctional institutions with telemedicine consultation facilities, with a view to further relieving the strain on the manpower resources required for medical escort duties and reducing security risks.
Apart from tackling emergencies within institutions and supporting institutional management to combat collective illicit activities by persons in custody, the RRT has conducted numerous escorts involving high-risk persons in custody and stepped up patrols in the peripheral areas of institutions following the promulgation of the National Security Law.
In 2022, the RRT conducted a joint emergency response exercise with the Government Flying Service at the temporary training base in Cape Collinson Correctional Institution, with a view to strengthening the communication and coordination capabilities among various units and frontline staff in handling emergency situations. The RRT also participated in the emergency response exercise held at Sha Tsui Correctional Institution, demonstrating a high degree of professionalism of the Department in emergency response. Furthermore, the RRT has invited other law enforcement agencies to participate in its induction course to share how the CSD promptly and effectively resolved various crises under emergency situations through employing different tactics and strategies.
During the emergency response exercise conducted in Sha Tsui Correctional Institution, the RRT arrives at the institution promptly to provide immediate reinforcement, so as to ensure institutional safety.
Canines are trained by the Correctional Services Dog Unit to carry out patrols and sniff out contraband (e.g. dangerous drugs, explosive substances, cigarettes, alcohol and phones) for supporting the surveillance of correctional facilities. There are five regional dog teams located on Hong Kong Island, Hei Ling Chau and Lantau Island, and in the New Territories and Lo Wu respectively with a total of 60 working dogs. The Training and Support Team of the Unit is responsible for breeding, raising, training canines, and taking care of sick canines.
Currently, the Dog Unit has four breeds of canines, namely German Shepherd Dog, Kunming Dog, English Springer Spaniel and Labrador Retriever. They are responsible for different types of duties. The Department’s working dogs come from its internal “Canine Breeding Programme” or procurement. Besides, the Dog Unit also accepts healthy dogs that are abandoned or without a dog licence from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. In 2022, the Dog Unit accepted two German Shepherds who have started to work after the completion of 12-week basic training.
The Dog Unit is responsible for searching and patrol duties in support of security and surveillance of correctional facilities.
