The Guangdong Hongkong Macao Prison and Correctional Services Conference 2023, jointly organized by the Correctional Services Bureau of Macao, the Prison Administration of Guangdong Province, and the Hong Kong Correctional Services Department, was held on 20 to 22 September in Macao and attended by 106 representatives from the prison and correctional departments in the three places. During the conference period, the representatives also took part in a sport exchange and toured Coloane Prison.

 

The opening ceremony of the conference – jointly officiated by: Deputy Director of the Police Liaison Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Macao, Wang Qianjin; Party Committee Member and Level 2 Inspector of the Prison Administration of Guangdong Province, Lin Yingkun; Commissioner of Hong Kong Correctional Services, Wong Kwok-hing; and Director of the Correctional Services Bureau, Cheng Fong Meng – was held at the Macao Science Center on 20 September morning. The attendees of the ceremony also included: Director of the Judiciary Police, Sit Chong Meng; Director of the Public Security Forces Affairs Bureau of Macao, Kok Fong Mei; Director of the Academy of Public Security Forces of Macao, Wong Chi Fai; Director of the Financial Intelligence Office, Chu Un I; Acting Deputy Director General of the Macao Customs, Lei Iok Fai; General Manager of China Legal Service (Macau), Liu Fuchen; Deputy Commissioner of the Fire Services Bureau, Au Io Weng; as well as Deputy Commissioner of the Public Security Police Force, Leong Heng Hong.

 

In his speech at the ceremony, Director Cheng Fong Meng highlighted the significance of the Guangdong Hongkong Macao Prison and Correctional Services Conference 2023 as a permanent platform for exchanges and sharing of professional knowledge and practices of prison administration by the correctional personnel in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, for the promotion of the exchanges and cooperation on prison and correctional affairs in the three places and for mutual learning, win-win cooperation and joint development. The sport exchange events organized during the conference period also serve to continually further the friendships and ties among counterparts in the three places. With the constant social and technological development, as well as the three-year pandemic, various new challenges have been brought to prison and correctional administration. The prison security management and the correction of inmates are the two main focuses in correctional services. To do a good job in correctional work, improve the prison governance system and elevate the quality of governance, we must keep abreast of the times and promote the modernization and the steady and quality development of prison governance and correctional services.

 

Leader of the Guangdong delegation, Party Committee Member and Level 2 Inspector Lin Yingkun said in his speech that the conference presented an opportunity for the three places to learn from one another and share experiences. He believed that the in-depth exchanges and discussions as well as the sharing of practices would definitely broaden horizons at work and promote the continuous joint development of prison and correctional administration in the three places. Despite the differences in the actual situations, the three places are faced with new missions in prison and correctional administration all the same. In this regard, he looked forward to the representatives’ sharing of wisdoms in their lively exchanges and discussions on the conference’s topics, as it would promote the development of prison management and correctional services.

 

Commissioner Wong Kuok-hing, who headed the Hong Kong delegation, said in his speech that he believed the sharing of professional knowledge and experiences in the conference would certainly elevate the development of prison management and correctional services in the three places to the next level. In addition, the sport competitions during the conference would also serve to promote friendships among the prison and correctional personnel from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao and the awareness of healthy living. He expected the representatives from the three places to be able to expand their knowledge and jointly advance the professional development of prison administration through the extensive exchanges and discussions on related topics in the conference.

 

Themed “Promoting the Modernization of Prison Governance and Correctional Services”, the conference consisted of three sessions of exchanges and discussions on three topics – “Ideas on accelerating the modernization of prison governance systems and governance capabilities”, “Sharing of prisons’ responses to the Covid-19 pandemic” and “The role of community collaboration in behavior modification and social reintegration”. Experts and peers from the three places delivered keynote speeches on nine articles, sharing practical experiences and findings of theoretical researches. Attendees had enthusiastic and thorough exchanges and discussions on the topics. 

 

The representatives from the three places engaged in soccer and badminton competitions during the conference period as well. Friendships were strengthened during the intense and exciting sport exchange process. In the end, the Hong Kong team won the soccer competition, while the Guangdong team was the champion of the badminton competition.

 

The objectives of the conference were achieved as it reinforced exchanges among the personnel of the prison and correctional departments in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao on prison administration, correction and rehabilitation, and the “smart prison” initiative, as well as deepened friendships. With the accelerating integration of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the three places will, on the basis of good cooperation, further deepen their collaborations, jointly respond to challenges, promote the quality development of their respective prison and correctional administration, and contribute to the construction of a harmonious and peaceful Greater Bay Area.