bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

SCMP Reporter

PRISONS will be upgraded to ease overcrowding and improve conditions, a senior government official said.

 Commissioner of Correctional Services Benny Ng Ching-kwok said on a radio programme yesterday that upgrading was already under way.

 Mr Ng said that before building a new prison in 2003 or 2004, the Government would expand existing prisons.

 He said new facilities at Pak Sha Wan would be completed by October, and the Tai Lam Correctional Institution would also be redeveloped.

 Since the Yam O site on Lantau was being reserved for a possible Disney park, a new prison could not be built there, as originally planned.

 But other locations were suitable, Mr Ng said.

 Meanwhile, the department received a claim on Thursday from the Correctional Services Officers Association on behalf of 1,600 correctional services staff who are demanding overtime payments totalling $2 billion.

 'We have set up a working group to work on the issue. We are also working with the Civil Services Bureau and the Department of Justice,' Mr Ng said.

 In May, a precedent was set when the Court of Appeal awarded retired officer Shau Lin-chi, 50, seven months' paid leave for standby duty served during riots at the High Island Detention Centre in 1991 and 1992, for which he was originally paid just $50 a night.

  The court ruled Mr Shau's overtime allowance should have been calculated according to civil service regulations.

 Mr Ng said the claims of the 1,600 workers would be studied to see if the circumstances were the same as Mr Shau's case.

 He said it was too early to talk about the total amount of money involved in the claim.

 Mr Ng said standby duty was necessary. 'Local correctional institutions have continued with the practice for a long time. Our previous records in handling serious incidents are quite good.'  'It's important to have enough staff to meet an emergency,' he said.

 Mr Ng said the department had finished the initial review on the overnight duty arrangement. It is now consulting staff on the issue.



Upgrades to ease prison conditions