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In response to media enquiry regarding the premature release of prisoners, a spokesman of the Security Bureau indicated today (August 10) that the main objective of the Pre-release Employment Scheme provided under the Prisoners (Release Under Supervision) Ordinance (Cap 325) is to allow eligible prisoners to serve part of their sentences in an open environment under the supervision of correctional officers so as to facilitate their early reintegration into society and leading a law-abiding life.
Pursuant to section 7(2) of the Prisoners (Release Under Supervision) Ordinance, prisoners who are serving a sentence of two years or more (other than imprisonment for life) and who are within six months prior to their earliest date of discharge are eligible to apply for the Pre-release Employment Scheme. They may apply within 12 months from their earliest date of discharge. Successful applicants are transferred, up to six months before their earliest date of discharge, to hostels operated by the Correctional Services Department (CSD) to serve the remainder of their sentences under the supervision of correctional officers. During their participation in the Pre-release Employment Scheme, the prisoners must remain under the supervision of correctional officers and be engaged in approved work throughout the supervision period.
The earliest date of discharge is determined having regard to the stipulations under Rule 69 of the Prison Rules (Cap 234A). If prisoners maintain good discipline during their time in prisons, they will be granted remission up to one-third of their sentences. Therefore, prisoners with a clean disciplinary record will be released from prisons after serving two-thirds of their sentences at their earliest date of discharge.
Take a prisoner sentenced to 24 months imprisonment as an example. Generally speaking, he would be eligible for release after serving 16 months in prison after remission. If the prisoner is successful in his application for the Pre-release Employment Scheme, he can be transferred, as early as after serving 10 months of his sentence in prison, to a CSD hostel until he completes the remaining six months of his sentence there.
The Pre-release Employment Scheme, implemented in 1988, has been in operation for over 20 years. Based on past experience, the Pre-release Employment Scheme has shown to be effective as evidenced by the very low rate of recidivism among the successful applicants of the scheme. Between 2007 and 2009, the success rate of the Pre-release Employment Scheme, as measured by the percentage of supervisees completing supervision without reconviction within the supervision period, was 100%, which was more than 20% higher than the overall success rate of all supervisees under CSD's supervision.
Applications for the Pre-release Employment Scheme are considered by the Release Under Supervision Board (the Board) established under the Ordinance in accordance with a set of established vetting criteria. Recommendations are made after detailed consideration by the Board. Between 2007 and 2009, the Board received a total of 256 applications, of which 147 applications (about 57%) were recommended for approval by the Board. The vast majority of successful applicants are sentenced for imprisonment for the first time and all of them have demonstrated good behaviour and performance in prison.
In accordance with the stipulation in the Ordinance, the Board is appointed by the Chief Executive and consists of no fewer than five members, including a person who holds or has held judicial office as the chairman, a medical practitioner with experience in psychiatry, and persons with experience or active interest in the rehabilitation of offenders. Recommendations of the Board are submitted to the Secretary for Security for approval under the delegated authority of the Chief Executive.
Ends/Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Issued at HKT 22:05
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