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Stella Lee

A volunteer teacher programme for adult inmates has replaced the Correctional Services Department's evening courses that were suspended last month.

The new volunteer arrangement  could help the government balance the budget by saving the $1 million a year needed to hire more than 30 part-time teachers for the evening classes previously held.

But Commissioner of Correctional Services Kelvin Pang Sung-yuen   said saving resources was not the main reason  the  courses were suspended on March 1.

After an inauguration ceremony for the  new Rehabilitation Volunteer Group yesterday, Mr Pang said: 'We hope more people from the community can help the rehabilitation of  offenders. This is our primary objective.'

University students and teachers are among the first batch of 43 volunteers selected from more than 200 applicants  last year.

Classes are being held in topics including language, computers, and arts  for more than 250 inmates in 14 correctional institutions.

Mr Pang said it planned to recruit more volunteers through corporations or professional bodies.  'You may agree that the ultimate aim of detention of offenders is to prepare them for re-integration into society as law-abiding citizens,' said Mr Pang, adding that successful rehabilitation could help lower inmates re-offending  and the huge cost  in fighting crime.

Hong Kong university student Dino Au Yeung Ka-lun, 22, said he held English-language classes for inmates once a week and  found  they had a very positive attitude to learning.

'It's a precious experience. I got a better understanding about inmates,' Mr Au Yeung said.

Meanwhile, Mr Pang said the department had launched a trial to fix inmates' beds to the floor to prevent prisoners committing suicide.

The idea came from an ongoing taskforce review  on  suicide prevention in jail.



Prisoners go back to school with volunteer teacher programme