PUBLIC ORDER
rooms, laundries, workshops, exercising and recreational areas, library and hospital. Victoria Prison is the oldest prison in use.
Four halfway houses operated by the CSD provide group counselling sessions and other activities for inmates to assist their reintegration into society.
Vietnamese illegal immigrants who arrive in Hong Kong are now detained in Victoria Prison after an initial period of quarantine.
To cope with the perennial overcrowding problem in correctional institutions, the department has drawn up a long-term prison development plan. The redevelopment project for Tai Lam Correctional Institution was completed in mid-2002. Four new rehabilitation centres came into operation in July.
Penal Population
In 2002, the penal population remained high and averaged 11 per cent over the certified accommodation, with prisons for adults, particularly females, being the major pressure points. Despite overcrowding which stretched resources, the CSD continued to implement its correctional programmes effectively.
During the year, 19 754 adult offenders (10 974 males and 8 780 females) were sentenced to imprisonment, and 7 378 adult remands (5 621 males and 1 757 females) were received for custody. The number of young offenders sentenced to imprisonment totalled 2 588 (445 males and 2 143 females), and 838 young remands (612 males and 226 females) were received for custody. In addition, 728 young offenders (683 males and 45 females) were sentenced to detention in training centres, rehabilitation centres or the detention centre, and 1 289 offenders (1 059 males and 230 females) to drug addiction treatment centres.
Certain categories of inmates have to undergo different periods of statutory supervision. They are inmates discharged from training centres, detention centre, rehabilitation centres and drug addiction treatment centres, discharged young prisoners subject to the Criminal Procedure Ordinance, prisoners discharged under the Release under Supervision Scheme, Pre-release Employment Scheme, Post-release Supervision Scheme, as well as prisoners discharged under a conditional release order or a post-release supervision order. During the year, 2 576 offenders were discharged under supervision. They, together with those discharged in previous years and who had yet to complete their supervision period, made a total of 2 958 persons (2 625 males and 333 females) under the CSD's supervision at the end of 2002. During the year, 802 persons (719 males and 83 females) were recalled for breach of supervision conditions.
Pre-sentence Assessment Panel
Young persons aged between 14 and 20, who are convicted of an offence punishable by imprisonment, may be remanded in custody for a period not exceeding three weeks for assessment of their suitability for admission to a training centre, rehabilitation centre, detention centre or drug addiction treatment centre. Young male adults aged between 21 and 24 may be similarly remanded for admission to the detention centre. The CSD runs the Pre-sentence Assessment Panel that makes recommendations to the courts on the suitability of offenders for detention in a detention centre, training centre, rehabilitation centre or drug addiction treatment centre. The panel investigates all cases referred by the courts, and prepares suitability reports for them. In 2002, 5 847 offenders were remanded for suitability reports, and the panel found 1 613
337
Page 405Page 406