NCJ Number
81571
Date Published
1981
Length
17 pages
Annotation
The Hong Kong Commissioner of Prisons describes the treatment of drug dependent offenders in Hong Kong and the results of a study of inmates who completed their treatment program in 1979.
Abstract
In the 1950's and 1960's, about 90 percent of all persons admitted to prison were addicted to narcotic drugs and about 50 percent were admitted for offenses involving dangerous drugs. The Prison Service recognized that it had no choice but to become involved in the treatment of addiction. The Drug Addiction Treatment Ordinance came into operation in January 1969. Under this legislation, a drug-dependent person convicted of a drug offense or other offense can be detained in a drug treatment center for 4 to 12 months instead of imprisonment or any other form of sentence. No conviction is recorded unless directed by the court. A board assesses an individual's suitability for admission on the basis of such factors as the addiction history and the type of offense committed. Inmates are detoxified, given individual and group counseling, and assigned to productive work based on previous experience and skills. Inmates appear monthly before a board, which discusses their cases. Inmates are supervised for 1 year following release. Of the 2,143 inmates who completed their statutory supervision in 1979, 82.7 percent were successful in that they stayed drug-free throughout the supervision period and were not convicted of any further criminal offenses. Successful inmates were older than those who failed but did not differ significantly in length of addiction. A majority of the 'successes' had not received any treatment before, whereas a high proportion of the failure group had previous treatment experience. In addition, more successes than failures were married and lived with their spouses and/or children. Inmates who were more stable in their first employment after discharge were also more likely to be in the successful group. Tables and footnotes are provided.