344 | Public Order
were taken into custody. The number of young offenders sentenced to imprisonment totalled 398, comprising 285 males and 113 females, and 588 young persons on remand (507 males and 81 females) were taken into custody. In addition, 371 young offenders (334 males and 37 females) were sentenced to detention in training centres, rehabilitation centres or the detention centre, and 1 211 offenders (951 males and 260 females) were placed in drug addiction treatment centres; while 2 595 offenders (2 202 males and 393 females) were remanded pending reports on their suitability for sentencing to one of these centres.
The CSD has been looking for opportunities to improve correctional facilities, update ageing institutions and relieve the overcrowding problem in some institutions. Work on converting the Lai Chi Kok Correctional Institution into an annex facility of Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre commenced in 2011 and is scheduled to be completed in early 2012. The annex facility will provide 400 additional penal places to alleviate the reception centre's overcrowding problem. The department plans also to apply for funding for an in-situ partial redevelopment of the Tai Lam Centre for Women in 2012. Subject to approval of funding, the project is expected to commence in phases from the second half of 2012. The institution's number of penal places will increase to 371 upon completion of the redevelopment. The department will continue to explore other possible redevelopment projects and improvement works.
Assessment Services
Young offenders and offenders with drug addiction problems who are convicted of an offence punishable by imprisonment may be remanded in custody for a period not exceeding three weeks for assessment of their suitability for admission to various types of correctional facilities. Young people aged between 14 and 20 may be admitted to a training centre, rehabilitation centre, detention centre or drug addiction treatment centre; young men aged between 21 and 24 may be admitted to a detention centre and offenders aged 21 or above with drug addiction problems may be admitted to a drug addiction treatment centre.
In 2011, the Rehabilitation Unit prepared a total of 3 714 suitability reports for the courts, and recommended 709 males and 95 females suitable for admission to a rehabilitation centre, training centre or detention centre, and 1 212 males and 342 females suitable for a drug addiction treatment centre.
Young Offender Assessment Panel
The Young Offender Assessment Panel (YOAP), comprising representatives from the CSD and the SWD, makes recommendations to magistrates and judges on the most appropriate rehabilitation programmes for remanded males aged between 14 and 24 and females aged 14 to 20. In 2011, 156 cases were referred to the YOAP by the courts for assessment.
Training Centres, Detention Centres and Rehabilitation Centres
Training centres provide correctional training for young offenders for periods ranging from six months to three years, which includes half-day educational classes and half-day vocational training. They also receive character development training in the form of scouting, guiding or outward bound training. Upon release, these young
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