PUBLIC ORDER
At the end of 1992, the department was managing 19 correctional institutions, three halfway houses, a staff training institute, an escort unit, a custodial ward in Queen Mary Hospital and one in Queen Elizabeth Hospital and six detention centres for Vietnamese migrants. Policy guidance and administrative support is provided from its headquarters. There were 7 070 staff looking after 11 207 inmates, 32 746 Vietnamese migrants, and 3 256 persons under after-care supervision.
During the year, the number of Vietnamese migrants gradually decreased as a consequence of the implementation of the Orderly Return Programme and there was a decline in the number of Chinese illegal immigrants in custody. The workload of the department in managing Vietnamese migrants however remains heavy. This is due to taking over the management of some 6 500 Vietnamese migrants from the police-run Sek Kong Detention Centre.
Male Offenders
Prisoners are assigned to institutions according to their security rating, which takes into account, among other things, the risk they pose to the community and whether or not they are first offenders.
There are 11 prisons for adult male prisoners including:
four of maximum security: Stanley Prison, Shek Pik Prison, Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre and Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre;
* three of medium security: Ma Po Ping Prison, Tung Tau Correctional Institution and
Victoria Prison; and
* four of minimum security: Tai Lam Correctional Institution, Pik Uk Prison, Tong
Fuk Centre and Ma Hang Prison.
Stanley Prison and Shek Pik Prison house prisoners serving long sentences or life imprisonment. Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre accommodates the criminally insane and those requiring psychiatric treatment. Adult males awaiting trial or remanded in custody during court hearings are detained at Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre which also has a separate section for male civil debtors. Victoria Prison houses illegal immigrants pending repatriation to China and a special section at Ma Hang Prison has been set aside for geriatric prisoners. Adult prisoners released under the Pre-Release Employment Scheme are provided with accommodation at Phoenix House, a halfway house for adult and young offenders.
Young Male Offenders
The department administers four correctional programmes for young male offenders under the Prisons, Training Centres, Drug Addiction Treatment Centres and Detention Centres Ordinances.
The maximum security Pik Uk Correctional Institution is run as a reception centre and training centre as well as a prison for young offenders under 25 years of age, including those who are remanded for pre-sentence reports on their suitability for admission to the training centre programmes.
Cape Collinson Correctional Institution houses those between the ages of 14 and 17, and Lai King Training Centre, those between 18 and 20 years who have been sentenced to the training centre programme.
Lai Sun Correctional Institution on Hei Ling Chau accommodates young prisoners aged between 14 and 20. To cope with the increased penal population, a portion of Sha Tsui
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