PUBLIC ORDER
served not less than half or 20 months (whichever period is the longer) of a sentence of three years or more may apply to join the Release Under Supervision Scheme for the remaining portion of their sentences; and those who are serving sentences of two years or more and are within six months of completing their sentence after taking into consideration remission, may apply to join the Pre-Release Employment Scheme. Following approval by the Release Under Supervision Board, successful applicants then go out to work and reside in a designated hostel under the supervision of after-care officers for the balance of their sentence. The aim of the scheme is to enable suitable, eligible and motivated prisoners to serve their sentences in an open environment under close supervision. Prisoners who breach supervision conditions may be recalled to serve the remainder of their sentences.
The success of the after-care programmes is measured by the percentage of supervisees who complete supervision without reconviction and, where applicable, remain drug-free. At the end of 1992, the annual success rates were 93 per cent for detention centre inmates, 71 per cent for male training centre inmates, 92 per cent for female training centre inmates, 77 per cent for young male prisoners, 100 per cent for young female prisoners, 64 per cent for male drug addiction treatment centre inmates, 72 per cent for female drug addiction treatment centre inmates, 100 per cent for Release Under Supervision Scheme and 100 per cent for Pre-Release Employment Scheme.
Correctional Services Industries
Correctional Services Industries aim to keep prisoners and inmates gainfully employed, thereby reducing the risk of unrest through boredom and lack of constructive activities. The industries also help to reduce government expenditure by providing products and services to government departments and public organisations.
All convicted prisoners who are medically fit are required by law to work six days per week. Prisoners are paid for their work and they can make use of their earnings to purchase food extras and other canteen items approved by the management. More importantly, they acquire the habit of doing useful work through participation in industrial production, eventually helping them to find a job after release.
The industries run a number of trades, the largest being laundry and garment making. Other trades include silkscreening, printing, envelope making, bookbinding, shoe-making, fibreglass work, metal work, leather work, precast concrete and carpentry. The commercial value of goods and services provided for the year is estimated to be $300 million.
Detention Centres
The award of automatic refugee status to Vietnamese people reaching Hong Kong discontinued following a change in policy on June 16, 1988. In May 1990, the department ceased to be responsible for managing closed centres for refugees, a task first undertaken in July 1982.
Under the existing policy, Vietnamese people arriving in Hong Kong will be screened by immigration officers while being held in detention centres to determine their status. Those screened in as refugees are transferred to open centres, while those screened out will remain in the detention centres until arrangements can be made for their repatriation. Any person who has been screened out may appeal to a Refugee Status Review Board which has the power to overturn that decision.
277