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Bauhinia House serves as a halfway house for women and girls released under super- vision from the training centre or under the Pre-release Employment Scheme. Residents in this halfway house also go out to work during the day and return in the evening.

Drug Addiction Treatment

Drug addicts found guilty of an offence punishable by imprisonment may be sentenced under the Drug Addiction Treatment Centres Ordinance to a drug addiction treatment centre. They can be detained for two to 12 months depending on their progress. In-centre treatment is followed by 12-months statutory after-care supervision.

Male addicts are treated at Hei Ling Chau Addiction Treatment Centre while female adult addicts receive treatment at Tai Lam Centre for Women and the young at Tai Tam Gap Correctional Institution.

The drug addiction treatment programme aims to detoxify, restore physical health and, through the application of therapeutic and rehabilitative treatment, wean addicts from their dependence on drugs. There is also intensive follow-up after-care supervision during which time supervisees may be recalled for further treatment should supervision conditions be contravened.

Assistance is also given to addiction treatment centre inmates with post-release employment and accommodation. Temporary accommodation is available at the New Life - House, a halfway house for those who are in need of such support immediately following

release.

Young Offender Assessment Panel

The Young Offender Assessment Panel, comprising staff from the Social Welfare and Correctional Services Departments, was established in April 1987 to provide magistrates with a co-ordinated view on the most appropriate programme for a particular young offender. At present the service is confined to Central and North Kowloon Magistracies and the Juvenile Courts. The panel has proved effective in handling young offenders under the age of 25.

Education and Vocational Training

Offenders under the age of 21 attend educational and vocational training classes conducted by qualified teachers. Textbooks compiled by the department are used to provide inmates with more suitable and practical learning material matching their maturity in personality growth and development.

Adult offenders attend evening classes on a voluntary basis run by part-time teachers from the Adult Education Section of the Education Department. Self-study packages and external correspondence courses are also available for those who are interested in taking part.

Both young and adult offenders are encouraged to take part in public examinations organised by the City and Guilds of London Institute, Pitman Examinations Institute, London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Hong Kong Examinations Authority. Inmates also sit for the Hong Kong Certificate of Education examinations as school candidates. In addition, a direct referral system has been established with the Construction Industry Training Authority and the Clothing Industry Training Centre to help young inmates further their training upon release.