ENG-1990 — Page 330

PUBLIC ORDER

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. Adult prisoners released under the Pre-release Employment Scheme are provided with accommodation at Phoenix House, a halfway house for adult and young offenders.

Young Male Offenders

The department administers 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 is run as a reception centre and training centre as well as a prison for young offenders under 25 years of age, including those who are remanded for pre-sentence reports on their suitability for admission to the department'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 hold young prisoners between 14 and 20 years of age. Since early 1990, sections of Lai Sun Correctional Institution and Sha Tsui Detention Centre have been further utilised to accommodate adult prisoners under a separate programme in order to cope with illegal immigrant prisoners.

A very effective detention centre programme is carried out at the medium security Sha Tsui Detention Centre. There are two sections, one for young offenders aged between 14 and 20 and the other for young adults aged between 21 and 24. The detention centre programme emphasises strict discipline, strenuous training, hard work and a vigorous. routine.

Young male offenders released under supervision from the detention or training centres or under the Pre-release Employment Scheme may also be placed in Phoenix House. Residents in this halfway house must go out to work or attend full-time school in the day time. Young offenders identified as having special needs on discharge from a training centre or detention centre are required to stay in the house for up to three months before they are permitted to live at home or in other places while continuing to be under after-care supervision.

Female Offenders

Adult females serve their sentences at Tai Lam Centre for Women which also has sections for remand prisoners and those undergoing drug addiction treatment. Most of the women are employed in an industrial laundry which provides services to government departments and public hospitals.

Female offenders under 21 years of age are held at Tai Tam Gap Correctional Institution where separate sections are provided for training centre inmates, drug addiction treatment centre inmates, young prisoners and remands.

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