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Correctional Services Industries

The Correctional Services Industries (CSI) provides work to adult prisoners as required by law. Employment keeps all convicted inmates, except those who are physically unfit for work, purposefully and gainfully occupied, thus reducing the risk of unrest due to boredom. Through work, prisoners develop good working habits and sense of responsibility and learn the spirit of teamwork. This will also help them acquire the basic skills in specific trades and improve their prospect of reintegration after release.

In 2001, a daily average of about 7 000 inmates were engaged in industrial work. Workshops in penal institutions provide a wide range of goods and services mainly for government departments and public organisations. Examples are government furniture, staff uniforms and leather accoutrement, hospital linen, litter containers, mailboxes, traffic signs, paving blocks, slabs and kerbs for highways and infrastructure projects. Inmates also provide laundry services for the Hospital Authority, the Department of Health and other government departments. They also bind books for public libraries, undertake printing work and make envelopes for some government departments.

Production and services provided by the CSI in 2001 were equivalent to $478 million in commercial value.

Prisoners' Welfare Services

Prisoners' Welfare Officers in the CSD look after the welfare of detainees and prisoners, and help them to solve personal problems and difficulties arising from detention or imprisonment. Apart from conducting individual and group counselling sessions, Prisoners' Welfare Officers organise activities such as Pre-release Re- integration Orientation courses and meetings with family members of prisoners with the aim of helping inmates to reintegrate smoothly into society upon release and supplying them with information on community resources.

Drug Addiction Treatment

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.

Drug addicts may be detained in a drug addiction treatment centre from two to 12 months, depending on their progress. In-centre treatment is followed by 12 months of statutory after-care supervision. Assistance is also given to inmates with post-release employment and accommodation problems.

Medical Services

All institutions have their own hospital providing basic medical treatment, health and dental care to inmates. Those requiring specialist treatment are either referred to a visiting consultant or to specialist clinics in public hospitals. Although HIV infection and AIDS are not a problem among inmates, the CSD has established guidelines for its staff in handling such cases, as well as a programme of education and prevention.

Ante-natal and post-natal care is provided in institutions for female inmates, but babies are normally delivered in public hospitals. The Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre

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