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A "Rehabilitation Fair" will be held at the Correctional Services Department's (CSD) Staff Training Institute (STI) at 47 Tung Tau Wan Road, Stanley on Sunday (October 21). It will be open to the public from 11am to 5pm and admission is free.
Organised jointly by the CSD and Lay Prison Evangelical Organisation, Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong, the fair aims to demonstrate and recognise the contributions of Non-government Organisations (NGOs) in their provision of rehabilitative services to serving and rehabilitated offenders. It also serves to seek public support and acceptance of rehabilitated offenders.
More than 40 NGOs will participate in the fair. They will introduce their services to the public, in particular the rehabilitative services, by means of panel displays and games at the 24 booths in the venue.
An opening ceremony led by the Secretary for Justice, Mr Wong Yan Lung, SC, Commissioner of Correctional Services, Mr Kwok Leung-ming and Auxiliary Bishop, Mr John Tong, will start at 11am with singing and symphonic performances by pop singer Hins Cheung and doctors from MedArt respectively.
The fair also features other entertainment programmes including marching band displayed by inmates of the Cape Collinson Correctional Institution, performance of CSD guard dogs, drama, children's choir, magic and acrobatics shows, Cantonese opera by NGOs as well as visit to the Hong Kong Correctional Services Museum.
People can exchange a stamped or marked event programme for a souvenir from booths on a first-come-first-serve basis. The programme will be distributed at the venue entrance.
The venue is accessible by bus routes 6, 6X, 63, 73, 260 and 973 and Green Minibus routes 40 and 52. Members of the public may also take the Fair's free shuttle bus operating between 29 Stanley Beach Road (near Green Mini Bus stop) and STI every 30 minutes from 10am to 4.30pm.
At present, more than 60 NGOs with more than 2,000 volunteers are providing various services to inmates in correctional institutions and discharged offenders in the community. Their services include counselling, religious worship, cultural and recreational activities.
The CSD Rehabilitation Volunteer Group set up in 2004 also assists offenders in reintegrating into society and leading a law-abiding life upon release. The group, with a total of 256 volunteers since its establishment, comprises professionals, retirees and university students. It has organised some 430 cultural, recreational or interest groups for more than 4,600 inmates.
With its Rehabilitation Division approaching its 10th Anniversary in January, 2008, the CSD is rolling out a series of rehabilitation-related publicity events to seek public acceptance of and support for offender rehabilitation. The Rehabilitation Fair is part of the campaign. Other upcoming activities include the NGO Service Day, Symposium on Employment for Rehabilitated Offenders, TV Variety Show, Workshop on Assessment and Treatment of Violent Offenders, rehabilitation-related publicity activities at District level as well as lyrics and songs competition among inmates. More information on the activities is available on the department's website http://www.csd.gov.hk/english/reh/reh_over/files/Booklet_Activities.pdf
Ends/Friday, October 19, 2007
Issued at HKT 10:00
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