ENG-1980 — Page 189

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PUBLIC ORDER

During the year, prison officers continued to assist in caring for many of the Vietnamese refugees who arrived in Hong Kong and 85 prison officers were seconded to administer the Canton Road Reception Centre, the Ma Tau Wei Camp and Argyle Street Camp. The Prisons Department also provided detention facilities for up to 4,848 illegal immigrants, including those who claimed to be Vietnamese refugees, pending a full investigation of their circumstances.

Work resumed on the construction of a maximum security prison at Shek Pik on Lantau Island and plans to extend the Staff Training Institute were well advanced.

On December 31, 1980, the Commissioner of Prisons was responsible for the overall administration of 18 penal institutions, a half-way house, a staff training institute, and several detention centres for illegal immigrants. The department had an establishment of 4,304 uniformed staff and 440 non-uniformed staff. Excluding illegal immigrants the average daily penal population was 6,499 in 1980, compared with 6,108 in 1979.

Adult Prisons

The department operates eight prisons and a psychiatric centre. The full certified accom- modation of these institutions is 4,999.

The adult prisoner population increased during the year, so that the average daily population (excluding illegal immigrants) was 4,218 compared with 3,895 in 1979. Except for occasional overcrowding at the two maximum security prisons, however, the accom- modation situation was satisfactory.

Stanley Prison is a maximum security institution with a capacity for 1,605 prisoners who are now accommodated one to a cell. Tenders for building the superstructure of a new maximum security prison at Shek Pik on Lantau Island were invited during the year. This new prison will relieve pressure on Stanley Prison by helping to cater for the ever-increasing number of life, and long-term, prisoners.

The Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre provides maximum security, high-rise accommodation for 960 inmates. It houses all adult males on remand, detainees under the Immigration Ordinance, debtors and newly-convicted prisoners awaiting classification and allocation to other prisons. The majority of appellants are detained at Lai Chi Kok

except those appealing against a sentence of death and those sentenced to 15 years or over, who are held in Stanley Prison.

There are two medium security prisons: Victoria (accommodation 428) in Central District and Ma Po Ping (accommodation 570) on Lantau Island. Victoria, which was used during 1979 to house illegal immigrants reverted to its original role as a prison in February, 1980. Toward the end of the year, however, part of it was again used to house illegal immigrants. Ma Po Ping Prison was originally for recidivist prisoners with previous institutional experience but now also houses first offenders.

Minimum security prisons are located at Ma Hang (accommodation 155), Pik Uk (accommodation 400), and Tong Fuk (accommodation 225). A fourth, at Chi Ma Wan, was converted to house Vietnamese refugees during 1979. During 1980, it was used mainly to house illegal immigrants.

At Pik Uk, which is for prisoners serving short sentences with previous institutional experience, work is progressing on a new industrial complex - including a laundry – and this will be completed in 1981.

Prisoners at Ma Hang and Tong Fuk prisons are mainly employed on outside work. Ma Hang and Ma Po Ping prisons have geriatric units for prisoners who are considered to be too old to participate in ordinary activities.