Fwd: Internet access for inmates in Hong Kong
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Simon H WANG
Mar 7, 2021, 9:54:43 PM3/7/21
to s2-la...@maillist.hkbu.edu.hk, ge-capstone-...@googlegroups.com
FYI
Dear Dr. WANG,
Thank you for your email regarding the application for access to information on 13 February 2021.
For general rights and benefits of persons in custody ("PICs"), you may wish to refer to our fact sheet as below:
https://www.csd.gov.hk/english/pub/pub_hkfs/pub_hkfs.html
You may wish to know that there is no provision in the Prisons Ordinance (Cap. 234, Laws of Hong Kong) or its subsidiary legislation (including the Prison Rules) which provides a general right for a PIC to make telephone calls.
That said, to facilitate the rehabilitation and reintegration into the society after discharge of the PICs, CSD has adopted administrative policy to allow the use of telephone by the PICs despite the lack of provisions in the relevant legislation. In this connection, if the Head of Institution (“HoI”) is satisfied that a PIC has a genuine need for a timely communication with his/her friends and relatives, the PIC may be allowed to make local or overseas telephone calls, on a case-to-case basis, under the following circumstances:-
(a) to inform them of the PIC’s detention or whereabouts;
(b) to arrange for bail, fine payment or other legal matters;
(c) to acquire information about the latest situation of his / her spouse, children, parents or siblings who is critically ill or being affected by natural disasters; or
(d) on any other situation where the HoI considers it justifiable to approve on compassionate grounds.
Since 2 January 2014, CSD allows PIC who has not received any visit and has made no telephone call to his/her spouse, children, parents and siblings for two consecutive months (which, as from 27 June 2016, was lowered to one month) to make one 10-minute telephone call to his/her spouse, children, parents or siblings outside the territory at the PIC’s cost. Such use of telephone calls is treated as a kind of privilege i.e. automatically entitled by PIC if the relevant criteria are satisfied. The said telephone call arrangements are applicable to all PICs regardless of race, skin colour, descent, nationality or ethnic origin.
In 2018, the CSD formulated the Smart Prison Protocol and promulgated it in the Strategic Plan for future development, in which enhancing self-management abilities of PICs and facilitating their future re-integration to society are among the key focuses. In 2019, the CSD carried out the trial run of “The Integrated Intelligent Communication System” at Lo Wu Correctional Institution, so as to applying innovative technologies to enhance PICs communication with outside community.
CSD will keep the penal management practices under review and consider whether and how improvements can be made in future, taking into account the changing circumstances and PICs’ needs while at the same time, with due regard to operational and security considerations.
For more information of our further plan in applying potential innovative technologies to various areas of work and also for the well-being of PICs, you may wish to refer to our Annual Review as below:
https://www.csd.gov.hk/annualreview/2019/textonly/en/chapter5/
For education, in order to facilitate the reintegration of persons in custody into society after release, CSD provides half-day formal education class and half-day vocational training for young PICs aged below 21. Eligible young PICs will be assisted to sit for accredited public examinations, such as the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination, the City and Guilds International examinations and the Cambridge English examinations etc. Adult PICs are encouraged to participate in continuing education in their spare time. Assistance will be provided to PICs in their enrollment to distance learning courses and participation in public examinations organized by outside education or examination organizations, like the Open University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority, the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry etc.
Thank you very much for your support in offenders' rehabilitation and kind attention.
Correctional Services Department
Important Note
“This official document is for the use by the intended recipient only. Any unauthorized use, retention, disclosure, copying, printing, forwarding or dissemination of this official document is strictly prohibited and may lead to civil or criminal liabilities. If you are not the intended recipient of this official document, you are required to promptly restore this official document to the sender and destroy any copies of this official document. Please notify the sender immediately if you have received this official document in error.”
From: email CSD/CSD/HKSARG
To: "Simon H WANG" <simo...@hkbu.edu.hk>
Date: 19.02.2021 17:42
Subject: Re: Internet access for inmates in Hong Kong
Dear Dr. WANG,
Our department has received your application for access to information on 13.02.2021. Your application is now under processing. According to paragraph 1.16 of the Code on Access to Information, our department will inform you of the latest progress of the case separately on or before 05.03.2021.
Thank you very much for your support in offenders' rehabilitation and kind attention.
Correctional Services Department
![total_caring_c]()
![]()
![https://csdportal.csd.hksarg/images/caring_org_c.jpg]()
Important Note
“This official document is for the use by the intended recipient only. Any unauthorized use, retention, disclosure, copying, printing, forwarding or dissemination of this official document is strictly prohibited and may lead to civil or criminal liabilities. If you are not the intended recipient of this official document, you are required to promptly restore this official document to the sender and destroy any copies of this official document. Please notify the sender immediately if you have received this official document in error.”
From: "Simon H WANG" <simo...@hkbu.edu.hk>
To: "em...@csd.gov.hk" <em...@csd.gov.hk>
Date: 13.02.2021 06:21
Subject: Internet access for inmates in Hong Kong
Dear Sir/Madam
I just read an interesting article authored by a prisoner in New York
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/12/opinion/prison-internet-technology-jpay.html?referringSource=articleShare
. I’ve not looked into the Internet access for prisoners in Hong Kong but would like to join the conversation on this important issue related to prisoner welfare.
Could you refer me to documents and reports related to prisoner rights and benefits in general and their access to communication technologies such as phone and internet in particular in HK?
What educational services are available for prisoners in HK? Please refer me to relevant government reports and documents.
Which NGOs have been in communication with your department regarding this matter?
Please answer these three questions above under the Code on Access to Information. Thank you.
Yours sincerely
Simon Wang
--
Dr Simon Wang, Ph.D., FHEA
Lecturer in English
Language Centre
Hong Kong Baptist University
Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
Phone: (852) 34117044
http://lc.hkbu.edu.hk/staff_simon.php
Writing for the Public Project
Disclaimer
This message (including any attachments) may contain confidential information intended for a specific individual and/or purpose. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete this message and notify the sender and the University immediately. Any disclosure, copying, or distribution of this message, or the taking of any action based on it, is prohibited as it may be unlawful.
In addition, the University specifically denies any responsibility for the accuracy or quality of information obtained through University E-mail Facilities. Any views and opinions expressed in the email(s) are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the University. The University accepts no liability whatsoever for any losses or damages that may be incurred or caused to any party as a result of the use of such information.
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: email CSD <em...@csd.gov.hk>
Date: Mon, Mar 8, 2021 at 9:33 AM
Subject: Re: Internet access for inmates in Hong Kong
To: Simon H WANG <simo...@hkbu.edu.hk>
From: email CSD <em...@csd.gov.hk>
Date: Mon, Mar 8, 2021 at 9:33 AM
Subject: Re: Internet access for inmates in Hong Kong
To: Simon H WANG <simo...@hkbu.edu.hk>
Dear Dr. WANG,
Thank you for your email regarding the application for access to information on 13 February 2021.
For general rights and benefits of persons in custody ("PICs"), you may wish to refer to our fact sheet as below:
https://www.csd.gov.hk/english/pub/pub_hkfs/pub_hkfs.html
You may wish to know that there is no provision in the Prisons Ordinance (Cap. 234, Laws of Hong Kong) or its subsidiary legislation (including the Prison Rules) which provides a general right for a PIC to make telephone calls.
That said, to facilitate the rehabilitation and reintegration into the society after discharge of the PICs, CSD has adopted administrative policy to allow the use of telephone by the PICs despite the lack of provisions in the relevant legislation. In this connection, if the Head of Institution (“HoI”) is satisfied that a PIC has a genuine need for a timely communication with his/her friends and relatives, the PIC may be allowed to make local or overseas telephone calls, on a case-to-case basis, under the following circumstances:-
(a) to inform them of the PIC’s detention or whereabouts;
(b) to arrange for bail, fine payment or other legal matters;
(c) to acquire information about the latest situation of his / her spouse, children, parents or siblings who is critically ill or being affected by natural disasters; or
(d) on any other situation where the HoI considers it justifiable to approve on compassionate grounds.
Since 2 January 2014, CSD allows PIC who has not received any visit and has made no telephone call to his/her spouse, children, parents and siblings for two consecutive months (which, as from 27 June 2016, was lowered to one month) to make one 10-minute telephone call to his/her spouse, children, parents or siblings outside the territory at the PIC’s cost. Such use of telephone calls is treated as a kind of privilege i.e. automatically entitled by PIC if the relevant criteria are satisfied. The said telephone call arrangements are applicable to all PICs regardless of race, skin colour, descent, nationality or ethnic origin.
In 2018, the CSD formulated the Smart Prison Protocol and promulgated it in the Strategic Plan for future development, in which enhancing self-management abilities of PICs and facilitating their future re-integration to society are among the key focuses. In 2019, the CSD carried out the trial run of “The Integrated Intelligent Communication System” at Lo Wu Correctional Institution, so as to applying innovative technologies to enhance PICs communication with outside community.
CSD will keep the penal management practices under review and consider whether and how improvements can be made in future, taking into account the changing circumstances and PICs’ needs while at the same time, with due regard to operational and security considerations.
For more information of our further plan in applying potential innovative technologies to various areas of work and also for the well-being of PICs, you may wish to refer to our Annual Review as below:
https://www.csd.gov.hk/annualreview/2019/textonly/en/chapter5/
For education, in order to facilitate the reintegration of persons in custody into society after release, CSD provides half-day formal education class and half-day vocational training for young PICs aged below 21. Eligible young PICs will be assisted to sit for accredited public examinations, such as the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination, the City and Guilds International examinations and the Cambridge English examinations etc. Adult PICs are encouraged to participate in continuing education in their spare time. Assistance will be provided to PICs in their enrollment to distance learning courses and participation in public examinations organized by outside education or examination organizations, like the Open University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority, the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry etc.
Thank you very much for your support in offenders' rehabilitation and kind attention.
Correctional Services Department
Important Note
“This official document is for the use by the intended recipient only. Any unauthorized use, retention, disclosure, copying, printing, forwarding or dissemination of this official document is strictly prohibited and may lead to civil or criminal liabilities. If you are not the intended recipient of this official document, you are required to promptly restore this official document to the sender and destroy any copies of this official document. Please notify the sender immediately if you have received this official document in error.”
From: email CSD/CSD/HKSARG
To: "Simon H WANG" <simo...@hkbu.edu.hk>
Date: 19.02.2021 17:42
Subject: Re: Internet access for inmates in Hong Kong
Dear Dr. WANG,
Our department has received your application for access to information on 13.02.2021. Your application is now under processing. According to paragraph 1.16 of the Code on Access to Information, our department will inform you of the latest progress of the case separately on or before 05.03.2021.
Thank you very much for your support in offenders' rehabilitation and kind attention.
Correctional Services Department
Important Note
“This official document is for the use by the intended recipient only. Any unauthorized use, retention, disclosure, copying, printing, forwarding or dissemination of this official document is strictly prohibited and may lead to civil or criminal liabilities. If you are not the intended recipient of this official document, you are required to promptly restore this official document to the sender and destroy any copies of this official document. Please notify the sender immediately if you have received this official document in error.”
From: "Simon H WANG" <simo...@hkbu.edu.hk>
To: "em...@csd.gov.hk" <em...@csd.gov.hk>
Date: 13.02.2021 06:21
Subject: Internet access for inmates in Hong Kong
Dear Sir/Madam
I just read an interesting article authored by a prisoner in New York
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/12/opinion/prison-internet-technology-jpay.html?referringSource=articleShare
. I’ve not looked into the Internet access for prisoners in Hong Kong but would like to join the conversation on this important issue related to prisoner welfare.
Could you refer me to documents and reports related to prisoner rights and benefits in general and their access to communication technologies such as phone and internet in particular in HK?
What educational services are available for prisoners in HK? Please refer me to relevant government reports and documents.
Which NGOs have been in communication with your department regarding this matter?
Please answer these three questions above under the Code on Access to Information. Thank you.
Yours sincerely
Simon Wang
--
Dr Simon Wang, Ph.D., FHEA
Lecturer in English
Language Centre
Hong Kong Baptist University
Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
Phone: (852) 34117044
http://lc.hkbu.edu.hk/staff_simon.php
Writing for the Public Project
Disclaimer
This message (including any attachments) may contain confidential information intended for a specific individual and/or purpose. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete this message and notify the sender and the University immediately. Any disclosure, copying, or distribution of this message, or the taking of any action based on it, is prohibited as it may be unlawful.
In addition, the University specifically denies any responsibility for the accuracy or quality of information obtained through University E-mail Facilities. Any views and opinions expressed in the email(s) are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the University. The University accepts no liability whatsoever for any losses or damages that may be incurred or caused to any party as a result of the use of such information.
Disclaimer
This message (including any attachments) may contain confidential information intended for a specific individual and/or purpose. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete this message and notify the sender and the University immediately. Any disclosure, copying, or distribution of this message, or the taking of any action based on it, is prohibited as it may be unlawful.
In addition, the University specifically denies any responsibility for the accuracy or quality of information obtained through University E-mail Facilities. Any views and opinions expressed in the email(s) are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the University. The University accepts no liability whatsoever for any losses or damages that may be incurred or caused to any party as a result of the use of such information.
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