A group of inmates in Hong Kong’s Stanley Prison are using their imagination to the full with no restrictions, literally, in their daily work.
The Graphic Media Design Workshop at the institution was opened last year to provide Computer-aided Design services for clients of Correctional Services Industries (CSI) of the Hong Kong Correctional Services Department. It uses latest computer software to help inmates to turn their creativity into graphics and drawings.
Stanley
Prison Chief Industrial Officer Chan Chi-fat said: “This job placement not only
allows inmates to acquire design knowledge and increase their capability, it
also helps tapping their talents and raise their self-confidence through
creative work.
“To work as a team, it also fosters among them a spirit of collaboration to finish an assignment. All these will definitely benefit their reintegration into society upon release.”
At present, the workshop provides services mainly in design and page-making for posters and publications, design of signage, artistic engraving, garment pattern drawings, etc.
“The inmates there, on average, have been in custody for more than 10 years and have little knowledge about design and application of computer software. Training is therefore of prime importance aside from inmates’ perseverance and interest in design,” Mr Chan said.
He visits the workshop regularly to train the inmates in design skills and techniques, “I always remind them that the essence of practical design is to provide a product which not only meets but exceeds the customer’s requirements. They also learn about the importance of careful planning in the early stage of production to the overall quality and production efficiency.
“Inmates are encouraged to discuss, complete and present the assigned design jobs as part of their training. They are given flexibility in creativity and trained to cooperate with others while having critical thinking.
During the process they learned compromise, mutual encouragement and understand a problem from different perspectives. Some have even come forth to make constructive suggestions to improve a product. These positive changes are a very encouraging start.”
Apart from providing greater job satisfaction for both staff and inmates, the Workshop could achieve the objectives of better production planning, quality assurance and cost effectiveness, Mr Chan added.
Taking garment manufacturing as an example, he said that the precise computing of pattern drawings enabled better control over material utilization, product quality and the size of the end product.
“It also speeds up the
production process as a 3-dimensional illustration of a finished product can now
be shown through the application of computer software, saving the resources of
making prototypes as in the past.”
A swift and precise output of product specifications or cut-sectional drawings also helped the inmates understanding the whole manufacture processes, product structures and quality control concepts, he said.
“We will strive for the better and introduce more advanced design techniques and professional equipment to cope with the development in other trades to upgrade the products and services of CSI, as to win customers’ trust and capture more opportunities for inmates to work,” Mr Chan said.