ENG-1976 — Page 177

PUBLIC ORDER

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has been in operation for four years and the results are encouraging. A sentence in Sha Tsui runs from a minimum of one month to a maximum of six months depending on the inmate's progress. The period actually served is at the discretion of the Com- missioner. Release is followed by a compulsory period of six months' supervision under an aftercare officer.

Addiction Treatment Centres

The Prisons Department has the reputation of running one of the world's best programmes for the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts. Its success in this field is unparalleled anywhere.

Before the introduction of its addiction treatment centres-a pioneering venture dating back to 1958-more than 90 per cent of those admitted into prisons were found to be drug dependants. This figure has now dropped to 47.17 per cent. The four centres run by the department provide the courts with an alternative to imprisonment for those found guilty of an offence linked to the use of drugs.

The Tai Lam Addiction Treatment Centre, along with the Hei Ling Chau Centre on the island of the same name and the Tong Fuk Centre on Lantau Island, can accom- modate a total of 1,260 inmates---both male and female-at any one time. However, all female drug dependants are currently treated at the Tai Lam Centre for Women.

The treatment and rehabilitation programme in these centres is one of medical care followed by an active life with plenty of constructive work in an outdoor environ- ment. Results show that drug addicts can be restored to health quickly in this way, and once they have regained their strength they can tackle some of the hardest chores. During the year, inmates of the Tong Fuk Centre-which caters only for addicts under 25 years old-embarked on a venture requiring the energy and initiative nor- mally associated with Outward Bound School projects. They are converting and rebuilding a former leprosarium on a hill in a remote part of Hei Ling Chau Island into another proposed treatment centre. The hill-some distance from the existing Hei Ling Chau Centre-fringes a beach and at present there is no electricity and only a limited water supply. Food is brought from the existing centre to the inmates working on this project.

To help span the gap between the treatment centres and life in the community, the Prisons Department operates a half-way house named New Life House.

Prison Industries

Prison industries play an important role in the rehabilitation of prisoners. In 1976 about $12 million worth of manufactured items were produced as compared with $5 million worth in 1970. Plans for expanding the prison industries are in an advanced stage.

Aftercare

Aftercare is specifically provided under three relevant ordinances and is carried out by officers of the Prisons Department. It plays a crucial role in the rehabilitation of former inmates. Aftercare work starts soon after an inmate is admitted to a centre,