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service is limited, but it is hoped that this kind of treatment will be available to all institutions in the future.
Adult Prisons
For adult males, the department operates seven prisons and a psychiatric centre with a total certified accommodation for 4,839 people. Geriatric prisoners, who are certified as clinically old, are concentrated at Ma Hang and Ma Po Ping Prisons.
The overall decline in the prisoner population has reduced overcrowding and by the end of the year only the Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre had slightly more inmates than its certified accommodation. The average daily population was 4,079 compared with 5,261 in 1977.
At Stanley Prison, a maximum security institution with accommodation for 1,605, all prisoners are now accommodated one to a cell. The safe confinement of an ever- increasing number of long term and life prisoners, many of whom are highly dangerous and vicious men, is of great concern to the prison authorities. The new maximum security prison being built at Shek Pik, when completed in 1981, will mean that a large number of these prisoners can be further divided between institutions. A phased scheme for the reprovisioning of Stanley has begun. This includes rebuilding the administration block and main gate with increased facilities for visitors, expansion of the prison hospital and a new industries block. Improvements to the existing water supply and sewage systems are also being undertaken.
There are two medium security prisons, Victoria (accommodation 428) and Ma Po Ping on Lantau Island (accommodation 570). At Victoria, which was a reception centre until 1977, internal structural alterations have been made providing more workshop space. Ma Po Ping, which continues to be the main prison industries pro- duction unit on Lantau Island, also houses a geriatric unit.
The three minimum security prisons are Ma Hang (accommodation 130), Chi Ma Wan (accommodation 536) and Pik Uk (accommodation 400). The main general departmental store was moved from Stanley Prison to Ma Hang, where the majority of inmates are employed on outside work. There is also a geriatric unit. At Chi Ma Wan, prisoners are mainly employed on outside community projects such as afforestation and roadworks as well as picnic area and_beach cleaning. Workshops are provided for prisoners whose security category does not allow their employment outside the prison area.
Pik Uk is for prisoners serving short sentences who have previous institutional experience. Some are employed on outside community projects. A new industrial workshop is being planned at Pik Uk and work has begun on a new laundry to service government hospitals and clinics.
The Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre, with accommodation for 960 in maximum security conditions, is one of the few high-rise prisons in the world. Opened at the end of 1977 it houses all adult males on remand, people detained under the Immigration Ordinance, debtors and newly-convicted prisoners awaiting classification and alloca- tion to a particular prison. The majority of appellants, except those appealing against a sentence of death who are held at Stanley Prison, are housed at this prison. A psychia- tric observation unit was introduced early in the year for certain cases sent from the