Besides providing a decent and healthy environment for people remanded in custody, the Correctional Services Department (CSD) aims to provide comprehensive rehabilitation services for inmates, which help them rehabilitate and re-integrate into society.

Here are the rehabilitation services provided by CSD and the target recipients of the services.

Pre-sentence Assessment Services

Before the offender is sentenced, he may be referred by the court to a pre-sentence assessment. He will be interviewed on whether he is suitable for one of the rehabilitation programmes. The Department will then advise the court the most appropriate treatment for the offender.

Target recipients include inmates of:

• Detention Centre
  The detention centre programme is carried out at Sha Tsui Detention Centre for young male offenders aged between 14 and 20, and young male adults aged between 21 and 24. It emphasises strict discipline, strenuous training, hard work and a vigorous routine. After release, detainees are subject to a statutory supervision period of one year.
• Rehabilitation Centres
  Rehabilitation Centres provide training to deal with young offenders aged between 14 and 20, and in need of a short-term residential rehabilitation programme. The programme consists of two phases with a total period of detention ranging from 3 to 9 months. Discharged young offenders are subject to a statutory period of supervision of one year.
• Training Centres
  Training Centres provide correctional training for young offenders aged between 14 and 20 for periods ranging from a minimum of 6 months to a maximum of 3 years. They are provided with half-day educational classes and half-day vocational training as well as character development programmes. Upon release, young offenders must have suitable employment, education or vocational training and are subject to a statutory period of supervision of three years.
• Drug Addiction Treatment Centres
  Drug Addiction Treatment Centres provide compulsory treatment for drug addicts. An inmate undergoes in-centre treatment from 2 to 12 months, followed by one year’s statutory supervision. The programme is based on therapeutic treatment, discipline, work programmes, outdoor physical activities and comprehensive supervision services.

Young Offender Assessment

Young male offenders aged 14 to 24 and young female offenders aged 14 to 20 may be referred by the court and be interviewed by The Young Offender Assessment Panel, which is jointly formed by professionals of CSD and the Social Welfare Department. The panel will then recommend the most appropriate treatment for each case.

Welfare and Counselling Services

Right from the moment the offender is admitted to prison, he may receive the welfare and counselling services from the CSD.

The welfare and counselling services cover the following areas:

• to cater for the offenders’ welfare needs;
• to help the offenders cope with their adjustment problems arising from imprisonment;
• to assist in the provision of various rehabilitation programmes to meet the rehabilitative needs of the offenders; and
• to help the offenders get prepared for their release by providing them with pre-release counselling services and if necessary, referring them to appropriate social welfare organisations for follow-up support and services.

Psychological Services

Psychological services are provided to improve the mental health of inmates and to change their offending behaviours.
The services are carried out by a team of clinical psychologists and departmental officers trained in psychological work. Programmes include:

• treatment programme for sex offenders and offenders with substance abuse;
• mental health programme and violence prevention programme for adult offenders;
• offending behaviour programme for young offenders to develop pro-social values and to change their offending behaviours;
• parent-inmate programme to enhance the involvement of the offenders’ families in the rehabilitation process.
  

Education

Young offenders under 21 receive compulsory formal day classes for general subjects, as well as classes on commercial subjects and computer applications. Inmates are also encouraged to take public examinations, such as the City and Guilds examinations, the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry examinations, the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination, the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination and the Hong Kong Institute of Accredited Accounting Technicians examinations.

For adult prisoners, they can participate on voluntary basis in self-studying courses or distance-learning programmes including tertiary education courses offered by external educational organisations and institutes.

Vocational Training

Young inmates under 21 receive half-day vocational training in technical or business streams, which help them obtain vocational qualifications. They include:

• courses for public examinations of the City and Guilds
• courses for taking the trade tests conducted by the Vocational Training Council or the Construction Industry Council Training Academy
• courses for acquiring vocational skills for job placement

Adult prisoners can also obtain vocational qualifications by taking trade tests conducted by the Construction Industry Council Training Academy and the Vocational Training Council. To prepare for employment after release, pre-release vocational courses may be provided.

Supervision Services

Prisoners may be discharged for statutory supervision before the end of their imprisonment under the Release Under Supervision Scheme and the Pre-release Employment Scheme. The supervision staff will visit the discharged prisoners’ home or workplace regularly. With the support of the prisoners’ families, other persons and the staff, the prisoners can prepare for the challenges on their return to the community.

Prisoners released from training centres, rehabilitation centres, detention centre and drug addiction treatment centres and those subject to post release supervision under Post-Release Supervision of Prisoners Ordinance and Long-term Prison Sentences Review Ordinance will also be supervised by supervision staff so that they can re-integrate into the society smoothly.

There are over 60 non-government organisations which are actively involved in the rehabilitation services for inmates. You can refer to the list below.

1. Aberdeen East Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses
2. Alliance Bible Seminary Student Evangelistic Band
3. Alpha Course HK
4. Barnabas Charitable Service Association
5. Buddha's Light International Association of HK
6. Canossian Missions
7. Caritas – Hong Kong
8. Caritas Lok Heep Club
9. Catholic Diocese of HK Bishop's Office
10. Chabad of Hong Kong
11. Changing Young Lives Foundation
12. Cheong Bun Gratia Association
13. Chinese YMCA of HK
14. Christian & Missionary Alliance Church Union HK
15. Christian Fellowship of Pastoral Care for Youth
16. Christian New Life Association
17. Christian Prison Pastoral Association
18. Dawat-e Islami Hong Kong
19. Fan Kwan Timor Domini Association
20. Friendship Society
21. Glorious Praise Fellowship HK
22. Hong Kong Disciplined Services Christian Fellowship
23. Yuen Yuen Institution
24. Hon Jor Sapientia Association
25. Hong Kong Buddhist Library
26. Hong Kong Christian Kun Sun Association
27. Hong Kong Christian Service
28. Lok Sin Tong Benevolent Society, Kowloon
29. Lions Clubs International District 303- Hong Kong & Macau
30. International Social Service Hong Kong Branch
31. Joy Tak Mildness Association
32. Lay Prison Evangelical Organisation
33. Man Lan Intellectus Association
34. Methodist Centre
35. Ming Toa Consilium Association
36. Mother of Good Counsel Parish
37. Ohel Leah Synagogue
38. Operation Dawn Hong Kong
39. Yan Chai Hospital
40. The Prisoners' Friends' Association
41. Shui Ting Scientia Association
42. Sisters of the Good Shepherd - China District
43. Society for Community Organization
44. St. Augustine Youth Association
45. St. Paul's Correspondence Association
46. Teresa Confidence Association
47. The Chinese Muslim Cultural & Fraternal Association
48. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of HK
49. The Incorporated Trustees of The Islamic Community Fund of HK
50. The Neighbourhood Advice-Action Council
51. Yan Oi Tong
52. The Society of Rehabilitation & Crime Prevention, HK
53. Tien Shen Spes Association
54. Rotary International District 3450
55. Zonta Club of Hong Kong
56. Wong Sing Pietas Association
57. Wu Oi Christian Centre
58. Xavier Fellowship Association
59. Yang Memorial Methodist Social Service
60. Zhao Rong Meekness Association
61. Zi Teng
62. The Hong Kong Institute of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism
63. The Confucian Academy
    

Enquiries

For more information, you can contact the CSD’s hotline at (852) 2511 3511 or email to email@csd.gov.hk ( mailto:email@csd.gov.hk ).