C.S. 166
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CONFIDENTIAL # ±
XCC(77)61
Copy No.33.. of 80 Page 3 of 6
Planned Development of Institutions
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Short Term. The opening of the Lai Chi Kok Remand Centre with a capacity of 960 in September 1977, and the Lai King Training Centre for 260 inmates in about December 1977 will alleviate the overcrowding in the short term. However, this temporary improve - ment will be partially offset in about December 1978, when Chatham Road Prison (390 inmates) is due to be vacated to make way for a further stage of the East Tsim Sha Tsui Development Programme. The loss of Chatham Road a Medium Security Prison will also increase the shortfall of places for Medium Security (Category C) prisoners. From Annex A, it is clear that, from 1979 onwards, (assuming that the projected prison population figures are accurate), there will be continuing overcrowding.
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Long Term. In the light of the projected shortfall in accom- modation in prison institutions, the construction of additional institu- tions and the selection of sites for them has been further considered.
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Recent experience has shown that there is an interval of 5 to 10 years between a decision to build a penal institution and its operation, partly because much site formation work is usually necessary. Penal institutions require large areas of reasonably level land (the site for Shek Pik Maximum Security Prison, excluding the quarters is 71⁄2 acres); flat sites of such a size are difficult to find and costly levelling is unavoidable in most cases.
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When all prison projects in Category A of the Public Works Programme are completed (about 1980), the certified accommodation of penal institutions will rise only to 9, 000. When, in the early 1980s, all projects in the Public Works Programme for which sites are available are realised, the total accommodation will amount to 9, 600. This
figure is in line with the projected prison population but:
(a) it does not take account of the desirable 15% margin;
(b) it will not permit the out of date Victoria Prison
(442 prisoners), which occupies a valuable central site, to be closed down;
(c) it will not permit the release of Ma Hang prison
(340 prisoners), the buildings of which are old and which occupies a site in the residential area of Stanley Village unsuitable for a reconstructed institution.
CONFIDENTIAL #E