This article needs additional citations for verification .(July 2019) |
懲教署 | |
Agency overview | |
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Formed | 31 December 1920 |
Jurisdiction | Hong Kong |
Headquarters | 23rd, 24th and 27th Floors, Wanchai Tower, 12 Harbour Road, Wan Chai |
Employees | 7,052 (2018) [1] |
Minister responsible | |
Agency executives |
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Website | www.csd.gov.hk |
Hong Kong Correctional Services | |||||||||||||
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Traditional Chinese | 懲教署 | ||||||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 惩教署 | ||||||||||||
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Politics and government of Hong Kong |
Related topics Hong Kongportal |
Hong Kong Correctional Services (also called Correctional Services department (CSD)) is responsible for the management of prisoners and prisons in Hong Kong. The Commissioner of Correctional Services reports to the Secretary for Security.
Although the Chief Magistrate (now Commissioner of Police) was given control over prisons in 1841, the legislation to create the department did not come into being until 1853. CSD was part of the Hong Kong Police Force until 1879 when the role of Superintendent of Victoria Gaol was created. The department has been financially independent from the Hong Kong Police Force since December 1920, when the Superintendent of Victoria Gaol was re-titled as the Superintendent of Prisons. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
In February 2021, it was reported that the CSD had worked with the Security Bureau to reduce "collusion" between foreign governments and those in custody. The CSD began to ask those in custody to produce both their HKID and foreign passports, or else consulate staff would not be allowed to assist them. In addition, for those in custody who may have broken the national security law, they would be required to sign an oath to declare their nationalities. The Canadian government revealed that a prisoner with a Canadian passport was forced to choose a nationality on 18 January 2021. [8] A spokesperson for the United States said that there were now "deep concerns that this new Hong Kong policy will compel people to declare their citizenship under duress and without an opportunity to understand the full implications of the declaration." [8] In response, the CSD declined to comment. [8]
Also in February 2021, commissioner Woo Ying-ming claimed that some people were becoming prisoners for the glorification of being imprisoned for political reasons, and also said that district councillors would be restricted from visiting prisoners unless they give a "valid reason." [9]
In March 2021, Apple Daily reported that sources told the newspaper that the CSD's "secret unit" handled the detention of Andy Li, who was arrested for attempting to flee to Taiwan. [10]
In July 2023, 7 CSD offers were arrested, with allegations that they had gang raped a woman. [11]
In January 2024, the CSD claimed that reports of a man being arrested in 2022 for sexual assaults in prison was "baseless," but several days later, Hong Kong police confirmed the report. [12]
As with all of the Hong Kong Disciplined Services, British-pattern rank insignia continue to be utilised, with the only change being the replacement of the St. Edward's Crown by the Bauhinia flower crest in 1997. [13]
Corrections guards presently wear green uniforms. The prison vehicles are blue and yellow and have the logo on them. [14]
CSD runs 28 facilities across Hong Kong ranging from maximum security prisons to rehabilitation centres. Facilities have different purposes, including training centres, detention centres, rehabilitation centres, and drug addiction treatment centres. [15]
Name of Facility | Location | Years of Operation | Facility Type | Capacity | Status/Remarks |
Shek Pik Prison | Shek Pik | 1984–present | Maximum security institution | 426 | active |
Sha Tsui Correctional Institution | Shek Pik | 1972–present | Minimum security institution | 121 | active |
Tong Fuk Correctional Institution | Ma Po Ping | 1966–present | Medium security institution | 925 | active |
Lai Chi Rehabilitation Centre | Shek Pik | 2002–present | Minimum security institution | 90 | active |
Name of Facility | Location | Years of Operation | Facility Type | Capacity | Status/Remarks |
Bauhinia House | Tai Lam Chung | 1984–present | Half-way House | 24 | active; moved to current location in 2002 |
Lai King Correctional Institution | Kwai Chung | 2008–present | Minimum security institution | 200 | active |
Chi Lan Rehabilitation Centre | Kwai Chung | 2002–present | Minimum security institution | 40 | active; relocated from Shek O Road to Kwai Chung in 2008 |
Pik Uk Correctional Institution | Sai Kung | 1975–present | Maximum security institution | 385 | active |
Pik Uk Prison | Sai Kung | 1975–present | Minimum security prison | 550 | active |
Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre | Tai Lam Chung | 1972–present | Maximum security institution | 261 | active |
Tai Lam Centre for Women | Tai Lam Chung | 1969–present | Maximum security institution | 391 | active |
Tai Lam Correctional Institution | Tai Lam Chung | 1980–present | Minimum security institution | 598 | active |
Wai Lan Rehabilitation Centre | Tai Lam Chung | 2002–present | Minimum security institution | 24 | active |
Lo Wu Correctional Institution | Lo Wu | 2010–present | Medium security institution | 1400 | active |
Name of Facility | Location | Years of Operation | Facility Type | Capacity | Status/Remarks |
Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre | Lai Chi Kok | 1977–present | Maximum security institution | 1484 | active |
Lai Hang Rehabilitation Centre | Tai Wo Ping | 2002–present | Minimum security institution | 70 | active |
Phoenix House | Tai Wo Ping | 1983–present | Half-way house | 30 | active |
Pelican House | Tai Wo Ping | 1995–present | Half-way house | 40 | active; moved to present location in 2004 |
Name of Facility | Location | Years of Operation | Facility Type | Capacity | Status/Remarks |
Cape Collinson Correctional Institution | Cape Collinson | 1958–present | Minimum security institution | 192 | active |
Pak Sha Wan Correctional Institution | Stanley | 1999–present | Medium security institution | 424 | active, adult no smoking correctional facility |
Tung Tau Correctional Institution | Stanley | 1982–present | Minimum security institution | 452 | active, adult no smoking correctional facility |
Stanley Prison | Stanley | 1937–present | Maximum security institution | 1511 | active |
Name of Facility | Location | Years of Operation | Facility Type | Capacity | Status/Remarks |
Lai Sun Correctional Institution | Hei Ling Chau | 1984–present | Minimum security institution | 202 | active |
Hei Ling Chau Correctional Institution | Hei Ling Chau | 1984–present | Medium security institution | 532 | active |
Hei Ling Chau Addiction Treatment Centre | Hei Ling Chau | 1975–present | Drug Addiction Treatment Centre | 672 | active |
Nei Kwu Correctional Institution | Hei Ling Chau | 2002–present | Minimum security institution | 236 | active |
As of 2018 [update] there was a daily average of 8,310 prisoners in the Hong Kong prison system. The prisons had an occupancy rate of 81.6 per cent, while training, detention, rehabilitation, and drug addiction treatment centres had an occupancy rate of 30.8 per cent. [1]
As of 2018 [update] there were about 100,000 books in the prison libraries; the percentages by language were 83% Chinese, 10% English, and 7% not in Chinese nor English. Prison authorities stated that they did not wish to buy too many books of non-official language to ensure the security of the prisons; Legco member Shiu Ka-chun criticised this rationale. [16]
The current crest of the force was adopted in 1997 to replace most of the colonial symbols: [17]
Stanley, or Chek Chue, is a coastal town and a popular tourist attraction in Hong Kong. It is located on a peninsula on Hong Kong Island. It is east of Repulse Bay and west of Shek O, adjacent to Chung Hom Kok and Tai Tam. Administratively, it is part of the Southern District.
The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) is the primary law enforcement, investigative agency, and largest disciplined service under the Security Bureau of Hong Kong. The Royal Hong Kong Police Force (RHKPF) reverted to its former name after the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to People's Republic of China in 1997.
Police commissioner is a senior rank in many police forces of the world. In other jurisdictions, it is the title of a member of an oversight board.
The Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) is a government agency responsible for the protection of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region against smuggling; the protection and collection of revenue on dutiable goods on behalf of the Hong Kong Government; the detection and deterrence of drug trafficking and abuse of controlled drugs; the protection of intellectual property rights; the protection of consumer interests; and the protection and facilitation of legitimate trade and upholding Hong Kong's trading integrity.
Prisons in Hong Kong are correctional facilities in Hong Kong, which are managed by the Correctional Services Department. Facilities have different purposes. Hong Kong has one of the highest rates of imprisonment in the region.
A prison officer (PO) or corrections officer (CO), also known as a correctional law enforcement officer or less formally as a prison guard, is a uniformed law enforcement official responsible for the custody, supervision, safety, and regulation of prisoners. They are responsible for the security of the facility and its property as well as other law enforcement functions. Most prison officers or corrections officers are employed by the government of the jurisdiction in which they operate, although some are employed by private companies that provide prison services to the government.
Stanley Prison is one of the six maximum security facilities in Hong Kong.
A prisoner transport vehicle, informally known as a "Sweat Box" or “Court Bus” amongst British prisoners, is a specially designed or retrofitted vehicle, usually a van or bus, used to transport prisoners from one secure area, such as a prison or courthouse, to another. Less commonly, aircraft, railcars or vessels are also similarly fitted. These vehicles must be highly protected and may feature bars or wire mesh over the windows, bulletproof glass, segregated prisoner compartments, and additional seating for escorting officers.
Corrective Services New South Wales (CSNSW) is a division of the Department of Communities and Justice of the Government of New South Wales, Australia. CSNSW is responsible for the state's prisons and a range of programs for managing offenders in the community. The state has 36 prisons, 33 run by CSNSW and three privately operated. The agency traces its origins back to 1788, when New South Wales was founded as a penal colony.
The Bureau of Corrections is an agency of the Department of Justice which is charged with the custody and rehabilitation of national offenders, commonly known as Persons Deprived of Liberty or PDL, who have been sentenced to three years of imprisonment or more. The agency has its headquarters in the New Bilibid Prison Reservation in Muntinlupa.
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Tai Lam Centre for Women is a maximum security women's prison in Tuen Mun, New Territories, Hong Kong. It is operated by Hong Kong Correctional Services and currently has a capacity of 391 prisoners. It was established in 1969.
Shek Pik Prison is located at 47 Shek Pik Reservoir Road, Shek Pik, Lantau Island, Hong Kong. It was built in 1984, and is managed by the Hong Kong Correctional Services. The prison is used to contain prisoners with medium to long sentences, along with those sentenced to life imprisonment.
Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre is a prison in Lai Chi Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is operated by the Correctional Services Department and is one of the largest prisons in the territory.
Lo Wu Correctional Institution is a medium-security prison in Lo Wu, New Territories, Hong Kong which houses adult women prisoners and remands. It is the largest women's prison in Hong Kong.
Tai Tam Gap Correctional Institution is a prison in Eastern District, Hong Kong, operated by Hong Kong Correctional Services.
Immigration to Hong Kong is the process by which people migrate to the Chinese special administrative region of Hong Kong for the purpose of residing there. The region has its own Hong Kong immigration policy governing how such migration may be carried, including for those immigrating from mainland China.
The penal system of Hong Kong, with its colonial tradition, is responsible for carrying out criminal penalties and the supervision and rehabilitation of former prisoners.
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