******************************************************
The Secretary for the Civil Service, Miss Denise Yue, today (June 15) commended the Correctional Services Department for its role as an integral part of the criminal justice system of Hong Kong.
Speaking at a passing-out parade at the department's Staff Training Institute, Miss Yue said the department played an important role in the custodial and rehabilitation work of offenders.
"Over the years, it has spared no effort to improve its services to cater for the ever-changing needs and expectations of the public. At present, its major task is to improve aging penal facilities and relieve the overcrowding situation in some of the penal institutions. To alleviate the problems, the department has carried out some in-situ redevelopment projects, that is, to construct new penal institutions on the original sites after the demolition of the old ones. The Lo Wu Correctional Institution, scheduled to be completed by 2010, is a good example of its kind," she said.
"In view of the severe overcrowding problem in female penal institutions in recent years, the department has adopted a number of improvement measures. One of them is to swap the functions of the Lai King Training Centre with those of the Tai Tam Gap Correctional Institution, thereby providing more penal places for young female offenders and maximising resource deployment of male training centres without increasing the number of staff."
On the rehabilitation work, Miss Yue said the department had implemented the "Risks and Needs Assessment and Management Protocol for Offenders". "Systematic risks and needs assessment are provided for all offenders serving their sentences at training centres, detention centres, rehabilitation centres and addiction treatment centres and for local male offenders sentenced to an imprisonment of two years or above. The scientific and evidence-based protocol enables the Department to devise effective rehabilitation programmes to redress the needs of the offenders prone to higher custodial and re-offending risk.
"The department has gained the support of more than 60 partner organisations in promoting community acceptance of rehabilitated offenders and helping them re-integrate into society. With the collaboration and financial assistance of these organisations, more offenders are allowed to pursue education and vocational training which give a great impetus to their rehabilitation.
"A sound criminal justice and punishment system and a stable correctional service are crucial to Hong Kong. However, more than 100 staff members will leave the service annually owing to retirement and natural wastage in next few years. In order to fill the vacancies and meet the needs of newly introduced services, more than 300 staff members will be recruited in this financial year with 70 newly created posts. The department will continue its recruitment exercise in the coming few years to ensure an adequate supply of manpower to deliver quality correctional services," Miss Yue said.
She encouraged the recruits to uphold the professionalism of the department, work hard and strive for perfection to improve the custodial and rehabilitative services.
A total of 31 Officers and 102 Assistant Officers II completed basic training in current batch. Among them, two top Officers were awarded the Principal's Shield and four top Assistant Officers II were awarded the Gold Whistle.
Accompanying Miss Yue at the passing-out parade was the Commissioner of Correctional Services, Mr Kwok Leung-ming.
Ends/Friday, June 15, 2007
Issued at HKT 18:50
NNNN