ENG-2020 — Page 304

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Public Order

Welfare and Counselling

Rehabilitation officers handle the welfare matters of persons in custody and help them deal with personal problems arising from their detention or imprisonment. The officers provide counselling and rehabilitation programmes, such as cooperating with different stakeholders in society to hold diversified rehabilitation activities. Pre-release reintegration orientation courses supply information on community resources to help persons in custody reintegrate into society.

Psychological Services

The CSD provides psychological services to improve the psychological well-being of persons in custody and their offending behaviour. Clinical psychologists and trained CSD officers provide treatment for sex offenders, violent offenders, drug addicts and young persons in custody, and gender-specific treatment programmes for adult males and females. They submit assessment reports, including on the person's risk of reoffending upon discharge, to the courts, review boards and institutional management on request.

Statutory Supervision

Statutory supervision aims to help supervisees reintegrate into society. It is provided to young persons discharged from custody, people discharged from training, rehabilitation, detention and drug addiction treatment centres, and those discharged under various statutory schemes. A breach of the supervision conditions may result in recall for a further period of training, treatment or imprisonment. At 31 December, 837 people were under active statutory supervision.

Community Support

Community acceptance and support are paramount to an offender's rehabilitation and reintegration into society. The non-statutory Committee on Community Support for Rehabilitated Offenders, appointed by the Commissioner of Correctional Services, advises on rehabilitation, reintegration and publicity measures. It comprises community leaders, professionals and representatives of non-governmental organisations and government departments.

Community Education

The Rehabilitation Pioneer Project targets secondary school students to encourage them to stay away from crime and drugs, and uses social media platforms to help young people develop positive values. The project's community education programmes encourage support for offender rehabilitation, and include the uniformed group Rehabilitation Pioneer Leaders, established to promote inclusive and law-abiding values.

Visiting Justices

Two Justices of the Peace (JPs) visit each penal institution fortnightly or monthly, depending on the type of facility. The JPS receive and investigate complaints from persons in custody, inspect their diets and examine their living and working conditions.

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