ENG-2020 — Page 302

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Public Order

Centre, Lai Sun Correctional Institution, Nei Kwu Correctional Institution and part of Lai King Correctional Institution accommodate convicted drug addicts. Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre separately houses males and females of all categories who require psychiatric observation, treatment or assessment. Seven of the correctional facilities cater for remanded people of different age groups. Two custodial wards in public hospitals accommodate persons in custody who need special medical care or surgery. Three halfway houses help those released under supervision reintegrate into society. Their residents may go out to work or attend school during daytime.

Admission of Sentenced and Remanded Persons

During the year, 6,074 adults (4,351 men and 1,723 women) were sentenced to imprisonment, 4,261 adults (3,312 men and 949 women) were remanded, 78 young offenders (67 males and 11 females) were sentenced to imprisonment, and 324 young persons (296 males and 28 females) were remanded. In addition, 124 offenders (116 males and eight females) were sentenced to detention in the training centre, rehabilitation centres or the detention centre in Sha Tsui, 318 offenders (245 males and 73 females) were placed in drug addiction treatment centres, and 788 offenders (676 males and 112 females) were remanded pending suitability reports for sentencing to one of these centres.

Pre-sentence Assessment

Young offenders and offenders with drug addiction problems who are sentenced to imprisonment may be remanded in custody for up to three weeks to assess their suitability for admission to which type of correctional facility. The CSD's Rehabilitation Unit prepares suitability reports for the courts, while the Young Offender Assessment Panel, comprising CSD and Social Welfare Department representatives, considers cases referred by the courts and recommends to magistrates and judges the most suitable rehabilitation programmes for young offenders.

In 2020, the unit recommended 203 males and 27 females for admission to a rehabilitation, training or detention centre, and 318 males and 97 females as suitable for a drug addiction treatment centre. The panel received 91 cases from the courts for assessment.

Training, Detention and Rehabilitation Centres

The training centre provides young persons in custody with correctional training for six months to three years, comprising half-day educational classes and half-day vocational training. They also receive character development training in the form of scouting and guiding. Upon release, they are subject to three-year statutory supervision.

At the detention centre in Sha Tsui, males aged between 14 and 20 go through one to six months of detention, and males aged between 21 and 24, three to 12 months. Its programmes incorporate counselling and emphasise strict discipline and a hard-working attitude. After release, they are placed under one-year statutory supervision.

The rehabilitation centres provide a sentencing option for the courts to deal with young offenders aged between 14 and 20 who need a short-term residential rehabilitation programme. Those released are put through one-year statutory supervision.

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