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Female Offenders
PUBLIC ORDER
Adult females serve their sentences at Tai Lam Centre for Women in the New Territories. The institution also has a remand section and a drug addiction treatment section. Most of the women are employed in a large industrial laundry, which provides services to a number of government departments and public hospitals.
Female offenders under 21 years of age are held at Tai Tam Gap Correctional Institution. There are sections for training centre inmates, drug addiction treatment centre inmates, young prisoners and remands.
Bauhinia House serves as a halfway house for girls released under supervision from the training centre or under the Pre-release Employment Scheme.
Drug Addiction Treatment
Drug addicts found guilty of an offence punishable by imprisonment may be sentenced under the Drug Addiction Treatment Centres Ordinance to a drug addiction treatment centre. They can be detained for two to 12 months, depending on their progress. In-centre treatment is followed by 12-month statutory aftercare supervision.
Male addicts are housed and treated at Hei Ling Chau Addiction Treatment Centre. Female adult addicts receive treatment at Tai Lam Centre for Women and the young ones at Tai Tam Gap Correctional Institution.
The drug addiction treatment programme aims to detoxify, restore physical health and, through the application of therapeutic and rehabilitative treatment, wean addicts from their dependence on drugs. There is also intensive follow-up aftercare supervision during which time supervisees may be recalled for further treatment should supervision conditions be contravened.
Assistance is also given to Addiction Treatment Centre inmates with post-release employment and accommodation. Temporary accommodation is available at New Life House, a halfway house for those who are in need of such support immediately following release.
Young Offender Assessment Panel
The Young Offender Assessment Panel comprising staff from the Social Welfare and Correctional Services Departments was established in April 1987 to provide magistrates with a co-ordinated view on the most appropriate programme for a particular young offender. At present the service is confined to Central and North Kowloon Magistracies and the Juvenile Courts. An overall review and assessment of the functions of the panel has been carried out and its future will be decided by the Central Fight Crime Committee.
Education and Vocational Training
Offenders under the age of 21 attend educational and vocational training classes conducted by qualified teachers. Textbooks specially written by these teachers are used to provide inmates with more suitable and practical learning material which match their maturity in personality growth and development.
Adult offenders attend evening classes on a voluntary basis run by part-time lecturers from the Adult Education Section of the Education Department. Self-study packages and external correspondence courses are also available for those who are interested.
Both young and adult offenders are encouraged to take part in public examinations organised by the City and Guilds of London Institute, Pitman Examinations Institute,