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Redevelopment projects to help ease prison over-crowding
Construction work is underway on two major projects which will provide some relief in the next few years to chronic overcrowding in Hong Kong's penal institutions.
The redevelopment at Stanley Prison area is being carried out in two phases at a total cost of around $1.15 billion and will provide accommodation for an additional 775 prisoners.
Overcrowding is serious in Stanley Prison, which was built in the 1930s, where the current prison population is 2,004 about 27 per cent over the certified prison accommodation of 1,575.
A Correctional Services Department spokesman said it had long been considered essential that additional prison accommodation in Stanley Prison area should be provided to reduce the current shortfall.
"We have carried out minor redevelopment and upgrading works in other penal institutions to increase their capacity as far as possible. However, due to various constraints, mainly space limitations, it is neither possible nor cost-effective to carry out large-scale redevelopment works in other penal institutions.
"When the entire project is completed we will provide a medium security accommodation for 624 prisoners and additional accommodation for 151 category A prisoners, and this will allow us to alleviate the overcrowding in other prisons by re- distributing inmates among various institutions," he said.
Under Phase One of the project, estimated to cost $204.5 million, an annex will be built at the Tung Tau Correctional Institution, which is a medium security prison next to Stanley Prison, to provide additional accommodation for 200 prisoners.
The existing dog kennels have been reprovisioned earlier this year to make way for this project which is scheduled for completion in September next year.
The existing hospital block inside Stanley Prison will also be reprovisioned to make way for the construction of a self-contained unit for category A prisoners.
This work is programmed to be completed in early 1998 as will refurbishment and alteration works to the main gate lodge of Stanley Prison to improve existing visiting access, reception and security facilities.