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Social Welfare
Services for Offenders
The SWD performs a number of statutory functions and provides community-based and residential services to help people who have committed crimes reintegrate into the community and become law-abiding citizens.
The probation service helped 4,639 offenders during the year and arrangements were made for 2,129 offenders placed on Community Service Orders (CSOs) to perform unpaid community work under supervision. Probation officers assess and report to the courts on an offender's suitability for a probation order and/or a CSO, and supervise those under the orders. The officers also prepare reports on long-term prisoners and petitioners being considered for early release.
In the light of positive results, a pilot project launched in 2009 at two probation offices to provide more focused, structured and intensive treatment programmes for convicted young drug offenders aged below 21 was extended territory-wide to all seven Magistrates' Courts from December 2013.
The Tuen Mun Children and Juvenile Home, with 388 places, provides educational, pre- vocational and character training for juvenile offenders as well as children and young persons with behavioural and/or family problems.
The Correctional Services Department and the SWD jointly run the Young Offender Assessment Panel, providing the courts with professional views on sentencing options for offenders aged 14 to below 25, and the Post-Release Supervision of Prisoners Scheme, which assisted 775 discharged prisoners to rehabilitate and reintegrate into the community in 2013. The SWD funds an NGO to offer hostel and supportive services to ex-offenders.
Services for Young People
The objective of welfare services for young people is to help those aged between six and 24 become mature, responsible and contributing members of society. NGOs provide a range of preventive, supportive and remedial services to achieve this goal.
Integrated Children and Youth Services Centres
At year-end, there were 138 Integrated Children and Youth Services Centres (ICYSCs), providing centre-based services, outreach services and school social work services to address young persons' developmental needs.
Outreaching Services
The 19 youth outreaching teams provide services for high-risk youths and deal with juvenile gang issues. Eighteen designated ICYSCs provide outreaching services at night to help youths. who loiter at neighbourhood black-spots get back on the right track.
Services for Juvenile Delinquents
Five Community Support Service Scheme teams operated by NGOs assist young persons who are subject to the Police Superintendent's Discretion Scheme (PSDS). The Family Conference Scheme, run jointly by the SWD and the Hong Kong Police Force, assists juveniles cautioned
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