ENG-1995 — Page 349

PUBLIC ORDER

Correctional Services

The Correctional Services Department administers a wide range of services for both adult and young offenders, drug addicts and the criminally insane. These fall broadly under two programme areas — prison management and re-integration. The depart- ment also manages detention centres for Vietnamese migrants and ex-China Viet- namese illegal immigrants.

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At the year's end, the department was managing 21 correctional institutions, four halfway houses, a staff training institute, an emergency support group, two custodial wards (one each at the Queen Mary Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital), and three detention centres for Vietnamese migrants and -ex-China Vietnamese illegal immigrants. A total of 7 183 staff were looking after 13 007 inmates, 13 673 Vietnamese migrants, 219 ex-China Vietnamese illegal immigrants, and 3 668 persons under supervision after discharge from custody.

In 1995, penal population remained high and averaged 26 per cent over the certified accommodation. Despite overcrowding which stretched resources, the department was able to implement its programmes effectively as reflected by the very low level of escapes and incidents of indiscipline.

The number of Vietnamese migrants (VMs) continued to drop in 1995, despite a slowing repatriation rate during the year. The number of VMs repatriated in 1995 dropped by 58 per cent when compared with 1994. The workload of the department in managing the VM detention centres remained heavy. The year proved eventful as the Vietnamese migrants displayed uncooperative and aggressive behaviour against the Orderly Repatriation Programme as well as camp transfer exercises.

Male Offenders

Prisoners are assigned to institutions according to their security rating, which takes into account, among other things, the risk they pose to the community and whether they are first-offenders. There are 12 prisons for adult males, four in each category of maximum, medium and minimum security. The Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre, a maximum-security prison, accommodates the criminally insane and those requiring psychiatric treatment.

Adult prisoners released under the Pre-release Employment Scheme are provided with accommodation at a halfway house. Residents must go out to work during the day and return in the evening.

Young Offenders

Prisoners aged under 21 are detained at correctional institutions separate from adult prisoners. In 1995, 873 young men and 632 young women were sentenced to imprisonment and 3 651 young men and 544 young women were received for custody on remand.

People aged between 14 and 20, who are convicted of an offence punishable with imprisonment, may be remanded in custody for a period not exceeding three weeks for assessment of their suitability for admission to a training centre or detention centre. Young adults aged between 21 and 24 may also be remanded to detention centres. A comprehensive report, together with the appropriate recommendations, is then forwarded to the courts concerned. In 1995, 2 069 offenders were remanded for suitability reports, of whom 1 571 were deemed suitable for admission to training or

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