How psychological help in prison spurred a Hong Kong money launderer to turn her life around
Man Kei was at rock bottom after being locked up at the Lo Wu Correctional Institution, but a gender-specific scheme to provide women in custody with professional psychological treatment has given her a new lease on life
Growing up with a compulsive gambler for a father, Man Kei (a pseudonym) and her family often struggled to make ends meet, with her sometimes even having to default on tuition fees.
“Because of this, I have considered money important since I was very young,” she says in a video released by Hong Kong’s Correctional Services Department on Sunday.
The department produced the clip to introduce a programme called the “Psy Gym” – a gender-specific scheme to provide women in custody with systematic and professional psychological assessment and treatment.
A spokesman said the programme helped Man Kei when her life hit rock bottom after she was sentenced to a prison term for money laundering.
When Man Kei was first admitted to the Lo Wu Correctional Institution, she was filled with negative thoughts and depressed. She could not eat or sleep well and declined to talk or mix with others.