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detention centres by the Selection Board. Of these, 1 438 were male and 133 were female.
Training centres provide correctional training for young offenders, for an indeterminate period, ranging from a minimum of six months to a maximum of three years. Inmates must have suitable employment or a place in school, and will be subject to a statutory period of supervision of three years upon release.
They undergo half-day educational classes and half-day vocational training. Recreational and physical activities are held in the evenings and on Sundays and public holidays. Visits to youth centres, large factories, sports centres and country parks are arranged for advanced grade inmates on Sundays and public holidays to provide additional educational and training opportunities and to assist in their reintegration into the community upon discharge. In 1995, 408 boys and 36 girls were sentenced to detention in a training centre while 158 boys and 13 girls were recalled for breach of supervision conditions for further training. After discharge from training centres, 68 per cent of the male offenders and 88 per cent of the female offenders completed the three-year aftercare supervision period without reconviction.
An effective detention centre programme is carried out at the Sha Tsui Detention Centre. One section is for offenders aged between 14 and 20 years, and the other for young adults aged between 21 and 24. The programme emphasises strict discipline, strenuous training, hard work and a vigorous routine. After release, detainees are subject to a statutory period of supervision for one year. During 1995, 338 young offenders completed the supervision process and 316 were not reconvicted during the period - a success rate of 93 per cent.
Young male offenders identified as having special needs are, on discharge from a training centre or detention centre, housed at Phoenix House for up to three months before they are permitted to live at home or in other places while continuing after- care supervision.
Female Offenders
Adult females serve their sentences at the Tai Lam Centre for Women, which also has sections for remand prisoners and those undergoing drug-addiction treatment. Most of the women are employed in an industrial laundry, which provides services to government departments and public hospitals.
To cope with the increased penal population, the Chi Ma Wan Detention Centre (Upper) was converted to a medium security institution, in December 1994 to accommodate adult and young female prisoners.
A halfway house is provided for women and girls released under supervision from the training centre or under the Pre-release Employment Scheme. Residents also go out to work, or attend full-time school, during the day and return in the evening.
Drug Addiction Treatment
Drug addicts found guilty of an offence punishable by imprisonment may be sentenced to a drug addiction treatment centre under the Drug Addiction Treatment Centres Ordinance. They can be detained for two to 12 months, depending on their progress. In-centre treatment is followed by 12 months of statutory after-care supervision.