Admission

When a young offender has arrived at the Institution, staff members will immediately conduct on him/ her an examination of physical conditions and an evaluation of health and emotional status, register and store his/ her personal belongings and provided him/ her with personal items for use within the Institution, such as bedding and personal hygiene products. Normally, the Youth Correctional Institution will arrange the new detainee to be observed in a single bedroom, allowing him/ her to be gradually adapted to life in the Institution. Furthermore, staff members will also explain to the detainee the regulations and his/ her rights and duties in detail.

Within the working day immediately following the new detainee’s admission, the Director of the Youth Correctional Institution or his/ her substitute will meet with the new detainee and conduct a preliminary evaluation. The Director of the Institution will learn about the detainee’s brief personal history and family status and analyze the nature of his/ her crime and his/ her mental state during the crime, while also assessing his/ her education, vocational training as well as the necessary conditions for his/ her social reintegration. The Director of the Institution will arrange a case handler (social worker or psychologist) for the new detainee based on the latter’s individual situations, and when necessary, make referrals for immediate medical treatment and psychological treatment. The case handler (social worker or psychologist) will meet with the new detainee as soon as possible to learn of his/ her needs, contact the parents immediately and arrange for matters concerning visits.

Detailed Evaluation

Staff members will make detailed evaluation of the new detainee upon his/ her admission. The case handler will gather the information of the detainee including background, development and current status of the family, relationship with the family, social status and academic history, and prepare a pre-ruling social report of the detainee within 14 days upon admission. During the same period of time, the psychologist will write a psychological observation report to evaluate in detail the detainee’s conditionsin the aspects of cognition, emotion and behavior and assess the needs for his/ her development.

Certain cases with more profound problems will also be referred to the pediatric department of the hospital for assessment, so that the detainee is provided with the most appropriate counseling services.

Individual Education Plan

Based on the detainee’s situation and needs as well as the principle of avoiding his/ her re-offending, the case handler will formulate an individual education plan for the new detainee so as to facilitate his/ her gradual return to society. The content of the plan mainly covers the following three objectives:

• Academic/ vocational training
• Individual counseling
• Family counseling

Activities within the Institution

To facilitate detainees’ gradual social reintegration and healthy development, the Youth Correctional Institution has designed a variety of activities, which can be categorized into: 1. life project construction; 2. behavioral modification; 3. educational/ vocational training; and 4. social reintegration.

1.      Life project construction: the objective is to encourage detainees to live a constructive life so as to change their habits and mode of living. Its content includes self-care training, farming activities, marching training, physical fitness training and sport activities. The behavioral modification plan is also implemented in the Institution, using small gifts such as stationery, snacks and toys and major encouragement activities (e.g. visits to external venues, barbeque and adventure training) as incentives for detainees to strive for good behavior.

2.      Behavioral modification: the objective is to change the detainees’ devious behavior and improve their psychological quality. The relevant activities include: psychological counseling, rational thinking training, impulse control training, development group, sex education activities anddrug abuse prevention workshops, etc. Pediatricians from the hospital will also provide psychiatric and psychological treatment for detainees with the need.

3.      Educational and vocational training: the objective is to help detainees fully equip themselves with knowledge and establish life goals. Its content includes the standard education programs, pre-job vocational training, short-term vocational training and a variety of small group learning activities and workshops.

4.      Social reintegration: the objective is to increase the contact with the society and the family, and re-establish a support system. Its content includes family counseling, temporarily leaving the Institution for a short reunion with the family, social service scheme and contact with other social organization.

Throughout the entire process of educational detention, staff of the Youth Correctional Institution will continually evaluate the change of the individual qualities, the progress of the education plans and the behavior of the detainees within the Institution, and will report to the court about the development of the detainee through periodical reports. The court measure of half-yearly review of the case: if the development of the case is satisfactory, and the detainee’s behavior is stable and reaches the grade for departure, then the court can approve the detainee’s departure from the Youth Correctional Institution and the return to home.

Preparation for Departure

If the detainee has enough conditions for departure from the Institution to lead a new life, the case handler will then evaluate his/ her individual conditions and those of the family, and analyze his/ her consent, so as to assist with his/ her decisions to enroll in a school, seek training or work. Prior to the detainee’s departure, the Youth Correctional Institution will certainly make arrangements for his/ her further education or work.

Follow-up upon Departure

Upon departure from the Youth Correctional Institution, the Departamento de Reinserçao Social (Social Reintegration Department) will continue to provide necessary assistance or follow-up. For certain young people requiring assistance for better adaptation to life in the society, the Department will recommend implementing the measure of “staying in a temporary dormitory” for them so that they can gradually return to the mainstream society.