NCJ Number
177711
Journal
Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor Volume: 9 Issue: 5 (C) Dated: June 1997 Pages: 1-51
Date Published
June 1997
Length
51 pages
Annotation
So as to provide a benchmark for the conditions of Hong Kong prisons prior to the Chinese assumption of sovereignty over Hong Kong on July 1, 1997, this study assessed the treatment of inmates confined in Hong Kong prisons under the authority of the Hong Kong Correctional Services Department.
Abstract
As in other reports published by Human Rights Watch and the Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor, this study assessed the government's practices with reference to the relevant provisions of international human rights treaties binding on the territory, as well as to other authoritative international standards, particularly the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. The findings show that Hong Kong's prisons are administered by a competent and professional corps of correctional officers. The prisons are relatively safe and secure, and serious physical violence is a rare occurrence. The physical infrastructure of the prison system, with the exception of a few facilities, is in good shape. Prison rules reflect a concern for prisoners' fundamental rights, including the prohibition of corporal punishment, the limited use of mechanical restraints, and a clear and consistent discipline policy. Although the prisons generally comply with international standards, overcrowding will continue to be a problem for the foreseeable future, thus stretching the system's resources. Cells that were designed for one inmate often hold two and sometimes three inmates. The prison systems still maintains unnecessarily stringent controls over inmates' contacts with the outside world; this bodes poorly for inmates' social reintegration after release. Recommendations are offered to improve the failings of the prison system. 199 footnotes