Hong Kong Prisons - Shek Pik

[nadezhda]

When my man was sentenced, I did a lot of research into Hong Kong prisons but not much really came up. Still, I thought I might put down what I hear and what I found.

Firstly, prisoners in remand and prisoners waiting classification are usually in the Lai Chi Kok facility. Classification goes like this - length of term (Categories go from A to D, with Category A being 10+ years to life), and then whether the inmate is a repeat offender or a first-time prisoner (the former is known as 'Ordinary Class', the latter is referred to as 'Star Class'). It is depending on this classification that you can narrow down which prison your prisoner is likely to be sent to. In general, though, from what I could piece together:

• Pak Sha Wan (Medium terms)
• Stanley (Life or Long terms, mainly Ordinary Class)
• Tung Tau
• Lo Wu
• Pik Uk
• Ma Po Ping (Medium terms)
• Hei Long Chau (Medium terms)
• Shek Pik (Medium to Long terms, Category A - C)

Transfers can take up to 28 days although sometimes they may be completed well before you have the chance to visit, so it's always best to call and check with the facility beforehand if you want to make a visit to someone who is pending transfer.

While overcrowding is an issue experienced in prisons here (as is usually the case in a lot of other countries), safety is not an issue. I've been told that violent incidences are extremely rare, and squabbling inmates are usually separated the moment they raise their voices. Not something that occurs very often anyway, my man assures me that the prison community here is actually rather friendly and most people are, by his reckoning, much nicer than people in the outside world.

Inmates are allowed to receive an unlimited number of letters, and they can send as many as they like outside of the weekly 1 subsidised letter so long as they have the stamps and envelopes for it, which they can buy with the wage they earn inside. I am not sure about the frequency and reliability of the post yet... seeing as I have only received 1 letter from my man dated 2 days before I received it but he insists he's sent at least 5. They could be delayed or lost, I don't know yet. In any case, you need to have the inmate's registration number. I recommend memorising it since you'll need it for everything relating to the prisoner.

Visits are usually available everyday except for Wednesdays though different facilities may have slight differences in visiting hours. Prisoners only get 2 visits per month though, and only from visitors on a list approved by the officers. So in case of doubt, always call them during hours to check that you are in their system and can in fact visit the particular prisoner.

For first time visits, you'll need to fill out a visitor's application. You can opt to leave your email on the form - the officers can then send you an email with instructions to download an app which will inform you of the prisoner's status (your prisoner has to first apply for you to access that app's function on his end too though before you can get the app working). It's quite useful, though I do wish it would let me know exactly how many visits I may have left!

If you want to bring in anything for your inmate, you should check it against the approved hand-in articles list which you can find online very easily. I recommend putting all that stuff in a clear plastic bag to take into the waiting room since you have to leave your bag in a locker at reception. It just makes it easier for you to carry everything through the rooms without dropping things everywhere like I did. The officers I've encountered are all very nice and approachable, and if something cannot be approved, they'll usually let you know exactly why.

Once the inmate is ready, you'll be asked to approach a counter number to begin your no-contact visit. This lasts only 30 mins, so treasure it!

I'll update this when I next have any useful info or tips I can share.

[Wanderer77]

Good info to know! Hing Kong is a pretty cool place so I'm not surprised it's run well. Definitely different from what you find elsewhere is the region!

[nadezhda]

I still haven't been able to solve the mail problem yet though I have left an enquiry with General Enquiries via email and when I make my next visit to my man, I'll ask him to see if he can talk to the officers about it as well and/or talk to some officers about it myself. After all, when you have only 2 visits a month, it really helps to have regular letters going back and forth - for him to stay positive, and for me and our family to know that he's doing well. I've stressed this in my email to General Enquiries (I would've called the officers I usually speak to except that today is a public holiday).

In general, only 2 visits can be made per month though a prisoner can apply for an additional visit which may be allowed at the discretion of whoever's in charge. According to the nice officer I spoke to the other day, he reckons 3 visits is the maximum an inmate will be allowed per month. He also said that the app I downloaded should let me know when a special visit has been approved, though I didn't see that anywhere in the app.

[nadezhda]

Just a short update on the mail situation (Hopefully I haven't spoken much too soon) - if an inmate is writing to you, he should put his number on the envelope otherwise apparently it won't get sent out.

[nadezhda]

Just gonna put this here...

You can visit more than 1 inmate on your visit so long as you have their registration numbers and are on their list. You'll be asked which one you'd like to see first, and then to sit at the appropriate window when they're ready. After the 30 mins with your first inmate is up, stay seated; they'll bring the second inmate in to use the same window.

I said last time that safety is not really an issue - of course there will be some disagreements between inmates but any violence will cause the offending inmate to be switched to a different prison, a maximum security prison (most likely Stanley). That said, some inmates might take advantage of time on the football field to trip up another inmate. My man originally played football with the others during this allotted time, but has since wrote that he has stopped since he wishes to 'come home in one piece'. Instead, he's sticking to push-ups because it's safer and because he knows I have a thing for sexy muscular arms