Letters | Education and vocational training should be a bigger part of Hong Kong prison life
- Support for public exams is great but currently benefits only a small minority of inmates. A more holistic approach is needed to ensure rehabilitation reaches the majority
While Hong Kong’s recidivism rates have declined from 36.5 per cent in 2004 to 22.5 per cent in 2018, it is still difficult for former prisoners to find employment and reintegrate into our society. We believe that the government should reform its rehabilitation programme to benefit as many inmates as possible.
The department provides training and financial support for inmates to take a range of public exams, including the Diploma of Secondary Education exam for university admission. The passing rate is impressive, at about 57 per cent last year. However, only 727 took public exams in 2016, just 8.4 per cent of the prison population; this has dropped even lower to 367 and 5.2 per cent last year.
To rehabilitate most prisoners, the government should strengthen its vocational training programme to enrol more participants. According to the Correctional Services Department website, the passing rate for vocational qualification examinations and trade tests has been around 97 per cent for the last four years. Yet, in response to our inquiry, the department says it does not track the number of inmates participating in the training programme.
Government policy also stipulates that only inmates who are due for discharge within 24 months are eligible for vocational training. This policy must be revised to ensure all inmates have the opportunity to develop practical skills.