Hong Kong receives prestigious ICPA award
The inaugural President's Award of the International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA) goes to the Hong Kong Correctional Services Department (CSD). The winning initiative, one of the two from Hong Kong, is 'The leveraging experience of adding values to people in corrections'.
The awards ceremony was held at the Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Association at Noordwijkerhout, the Netherlands, starting October 20. A six-member CSD delegation led by the Commissioner of Correctional Services, Mr. Benny Ng Ching-kwok, attended the six-day conference together with correctional administrators from 53 countries and regions.
"The industries team has worked hard, wisely and diligently to achieve not only greater operational efficiencies and a professional certification, but also enhanced the reintegration process for offenders, strengthened staff teamwork and dedication, and improved partnership and customer satisfaction. This is an impressive display of real results in the real world and also of 360 degrees improvement and of systems thinking at it’s best," said Dr. Ole Ingstrup, President of ICPA.
"I am glad that CSD has been chosen to receive this inaugural award, which is an international recognition of our professionalism," Mr. Ng said after the opening of a showcase on the winning initiative on October 21.
“It is our mission to deliver quality custodial and rehabilitative services recognised internationally for excellence. The honour belongs to all staff members of Hong Kong Correctional Services."
CSD started ISO 9001 management practices in 2001 at three large laundries managed by its Correctional Services Industries (CSI), namely the Pik Uk Laundry, Tuen Mun Hospital Laundry and Shum Wan Laundry. These three laundries complied with ISO 9001: 2000 quality management system standard and obtained certification in the same year.
The sign-making business of CSI and the Complaints Investigation Unit of CSD also obtained ISO 9002 certification for their management systems in 1999 and 2000 respectively and upgraded to ISO 9001:2000 recently.
He said the ISO quality management system provided good principles and guidelines that enabled CSI to conform to service requirements, sustain development through customer focus and achieve continuous improvement.
"The initiative adds values to people and practices in major areas of prison management, co-operation with partners, staff development and prisoners rehabilitation. As no external consultant services had been employed, staff teamwork and committed participation was the key to the success," Mr. Ng added.
The showcase mounted between October 21 and 25 drew enthusiastic response from delegates with some of them hailing the initiative as a model of work rehabilitation in corrections.
The ICPA Awards Programme was launched this year to encourage cooperation, partnership, teamwork and sharing of professional knowledge. It recognises outstanding progress and excellent achievements that advance humanitarian approaches and professional corrections. There are 3 other award categories.
The winner of Management and Staff Training Award is the Women’s Estate Policy Unit in HM Prison Service and the Trust for the Study for Adolescence. The Research Award goes to Dr Jeffrey Pfeifer and Ms. Reagan Hart-Mitchell of University of Regina, Canada. There are two recipients of Offender Management and Reintegration Award. The first is the Israel Prison Service and the second is being shared between a partnership consisting of the Correctional Service of Canada, the National Parole Board of Canada, Sponsoring Agencies and their In-Reach workers.
ICPA President, Mr Ole Ingstrup (Right), congratulates Hong Kong Correctional Services Department, receiving the first President Award of the ICPA. On the left is the General manager of Correctional Services Industries, Mr Daniel Hui Tak-Fuk.