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The following is issued on behalf of the Post-Release Supervision Board:
A total of 3,904 prisoners have been discharged under the Post-Release Supervision Scheme up to June 30 this year, the Post-Release Supervision Board says in its sixth report released today (November 18).
The report gives an overview of the board's activities from July 1, 2003, to June 30, 2005.
The board is an independent statutory body established to administer the Post-Release Supervision Scheme which started in November, 1996. Between July 1, 2003, and June 30, 2005, the board convened eight quarterly meetings and 35 ad hoc meetings, and considered 893 cases of eligible prisoners for making post-release supervision.
Of the 3,345 supervisees whose supervision periods have expired, 3,033 successfully completed their supervision without re-conviction during the supervision period - an overall success rate of 90.67%.
Under the scheme, a supervising team of officers from the Correctional Services Department and Social Welfare Department regularly visit the supervisees and provide them with assistance such as provision of temporary hostel accommodation, employment referral, application for the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance and arrangement of psychiatric or psychological services where necessary to deal with any adjustment problems.
"The board is satisfied that the success rate has maintained a high level over the years. We believe the scheme has contributed to the reduction of recidivism and is beneficial to both the supervisees as well as the community as a whole," a spokesman for the board said.
The board also considered 60 cases of suspension of supervision orders and suspended the supervision orders of 50 supervisees who failed to comply with the supervision conditions without lawful authority or reasonable excuse or were likely to commit arrestable offences.
The main functions of the board are to consider granting post-release supervision to eligible adult prisoners by making supervision orders and to consider applications for variation, suspension or discharge of these orders. In discharging its functions, the board shall have regard to the desirability of securing prisoners' rehabilitation and re-integration into society as well as the need to protect the public from serious harm from offenders.
Prisoners eligible for post-release supervision include adult prisoners serving sentences of six years or more; or two years or more for specific types of offences, such as triad-related offences, sexual offences and crimes of violence. Given the nature of the offences and the length of imprisonment, these prisoners may need more attention and advice to help them re-adjust to normal life in society after their release.
The sixth report of the Post-Release Supervision Board can be viewed at the website: http://www.sb.gov.hk/eng/links/prsb/report6.pdf.
Ends/Friday, November 18, 2005
Issued at HKT 12:15
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