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PUBLIC ORDER
Geriatric prisoners - that is those who are certified as being clinically old, and normally others over 60 years of age - are accommodated in Ma Hang Prison and Ma Po Ping Prison. They are employed mainly on light duties, such as envelope-making, light gardening tasks, basket-weaving and tailoring.
Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre is the only maximum security prison providing psychiatric treatment for the criminally insane and convicted male prisoners of a dangerous and violent nature. It also has facilities to undertake psychiatric assessments ordered by the courts. The centre has certified accommodation for 120, but has suffered from overcrowding for a long time and now has an average daily population of 147. Planning work has started on expansion of the centre.
Young Male Offenders
The department operates three correctional programmes
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excluding drug addiction
treatment for
young offenders. These are prison, training centre and detention centre programmes. Five institutions are administered, with accommodation for 1 193. The average daily population during 1982 was 1 197, compared with 1 144 in 1981.
Young male prisoners, under 21 years, who require a high degree of security are accommodated in Pik Uk Correctional Institution. This purpose-built maximum security institution has separate reception centre and training centre facilities and a prison for young offenders. Young offenders and young adults, under 25 years, convicted by the courts but remanded for reports on their suitability for admission to the detention training centre, are detained in this institution.
The correctional training of young male offenders has been a useful alternative to imprisonment since enactment of the Training Centres Ordinance in 1953. The training programme places emphasis on self-discipline and achievement. Release must be earned and is dependent upon progress assessed by a board of review. A three-year after-care supervision period follows release from an institution.
Lai King Training Centre houses young convicted persons remanded for pre-sentence reports regarding their suitability for admission to a training centre. Young prisoners under the age of 21 remanded for trial on minor offences, and training centre inmates. aged 14 to 17, are also accommodated in this centre.
Cape Collinson Correctional Institution provides accommodation for training centre inmates aged between 18 and 21 and of a lower security rating. It also accommodates some illegal immigrants in a separate section.
Sha Tsui Detention Centre is a medium security centre with separate sections for 150 young offenders and for 70 young adults. Strenuous training and strict discipline is designed to induce respect for law and order, awareness of neglected capabilities, creation of self-faith and ability to live in harmony with others.
Nei Kwu Chau Correctional Institution, formerly a detention centre for young male offenders in the 14-to-16 age group, started accepting young prisoners in June 1982, allowing Tong Fuk Centre on Lantau Island to revert to its previous role as a minimum security prison for adult male offenders.
Female Offenders
The department operates two institutions for females. Tai Lam Centre for Women operates as a prison for adult women and also houses a drug addiction treatment centre. The majority of prisoners in this centre are employed in laundry work; the drug addiction treatment centre inmates are employed mainly in tailoring, gardening or
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