ENG-1989 — Page 303

PUBLIC ORDER

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of service are provided – custodial, after-care and industries. In addition, the department manages closed centres and detention centres for Vietnamese boat people.

At the end of 1989 the department was managing 19 correctional institutions, three halfway houses, a staff training institute, an escort unit, two closed centres and seven detention centres for Vietnamese refugees and boat people. Policy guidance and admin- istrative support is provided from its headquarters. There were 6 544 staff looking after 11 455 inmates, 33 974 Vietnamese refugees and boat people, and 3 743 persons under after-care supervision.

During the year, there was a significant increase in the number of Vietnamese boat people and Chinese illegal immigrant workers in custody. This imposed strains upon existing accommodation, staffing and other resources. Long-term planning to meet the shortfall in accommodation includes the proposed construction of a new prison in the New Territories.

Male Offenders

Prisoners are assigned to an institution according to their security rating, which takes into account, among other things, the risk they pose to the community, and whether or not they are first offenders.

There are 11 prisons for adult male prisoners, including:

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⚫ four of maximum security: Stanley Prison, Shek Pik Prison, Siu Lam Psychiatric

Centre and Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre;

⚫ three of medium security: Ma Po Ping Prison, Tung Tau Correctional Institution and

Victoria Prison; and

• four of minimum security: Tai Lam Correctional Institution, Pik Uk Prison, Tong Fuk Centre and Ma Hang Prison.

Stanley Prison and Shek Pik Prison house prisoners serving long sentences or life imprisonment. Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre accommodates the criminally insane and those requiring psychiatric treatment. Adult males awaiting trial or remanded in custody during court hearings are detained at Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre which also has a separate section for male civil debtors. Victoria Prison houses illegal immigrants pending repatria- tion to China and a special section at Ma Hang Prison has been set aside for geriatric prisoners. All convicted prisoners who are medically fit are required by law to work.

Young Male Offenders

The department operates four correctional programmes for young male offenders under the Prisons, Training Centres, Drug Addiction Treatment Centres and Detention Centres Ordinances.

The maximum security Pik Uk Correctional Institution operates as a reception centre, training centre and prison for young offenders under 25 years of age who are also detained in this institution for pre-sentence reports on their suitability for admission to the depart- ment's young offender programmes.

Cape Collinson Correctional Institution houses those between the ages of 14 and 17, and Lai King Training Centre, those between 18 and 20 years who have been sentenced to the training centre programme.

Lai Sun Correctional Institution on Hei Ling Chau accommodates young prisoners aged between 14 and 20. To cope with the increased penal population, a portion of Sha Tsui Detention Centre was gazetted in April 1989 to accommodate young prisoners between 14 and 20 years of age.