Hong Kong Launches Jockey Club Project ReBond for One-Stop Rehabilitation of Short-Term Inmates

2025-10-23 18:05 Last Updated At：18:23

CSD holds Jockey Club Project ReBond kick-off ceremony

The Correctional Services Department (CSD) held the Jockey Club Project ReBond kick-off ceremony at Lo Wu Correctional Institution today (October 23), implementing a policy initiative announced by the Chief Executive in the 2025 Policy Address to provide one-stop rehabilitation services for persons in custody (PICs) serving sentences of less than one year, covering both their incarceration and post-release periods, and to track and research their rehabilitation situation.

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CSD holds Jockey Club Project ReBond kick-off ceremony Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

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CSD holds Jockey Club Project ReBond kick-off ceremony Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Jockey Club Project ReBond is a collaborative initiative created and funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, and co-created by the CSD and SideBySide with the University of Hong Kong serving as the knowledge partner.

Addressing the kick-off ceremony, the Acting Commissioner of Correctional Services, Mr Ng Chiu-kok, said that the CSD has been committed to enhancing its rehabilitative efforts to assist PICs in rehabilitating through appropriate rehabilitation programmes. He expressed gratitude to various stakeholders in society for their support in rehabilitation work. He noted that the project applies the theory of desistance, extending rehabilitation services from correctional institutions to the community. This approach will help reduce recidivism among rehabilitated persons, rebuild their law-abiding identity and reconnect them with society, as well as support them in giving back to society, thereby gradually transforming their lives.

The Head of Charities (Education & Youth Cluster) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, Ms Winnie Ying, in her address said that appropriate assistance for rehabilitated persons can effectively reduce recidivism and transform them into social talent capital. The Hong Kong Jockey Club aims to, through the project and donation, help short-term PICs equip themselves starting from within the correctional institutions and rebuild themselves after release with this innovative one-stop approach, enabling them to better reintegrate into society and contribute to Hong Kong.

In his address, the Chairperson of the Executive Committee of SideBySide, Mr Justice Poon Siu-tung, highlighted that the project seeks to accompany PICs and rehabilitated persons by providing them with seamlessly connected and diversified support services from correctional institutions to the community. It will assist them in setting goals and gradually rebuilding relationships with others, so that they can reintegrate into society and become contributors to the community. This marks a historical milestone.

The Acting Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Hong Kong, Professor Eric Fong, noted that the project is an interdisciplinary collaboration integrating expertise and research strengths across diverse fields to provide comprehensive and multidimensional support services for rehabilitated persons. Moreover, it also marks the first time in Hong Kong that a randomised control group scientific method has been adopted to evaluate the project's effectiveness, providing valuable empirical data for rehabilitation services, which will facilitate the future development of more diverse and effective rehabilitation approaches.

The Jockey Club Project ReBond will be implemented at Lo Wu Correctional Institution, Pik Uk Prison, Tong Fuk Correctional Institution and Tai Lam Correctional Institution. It provides one-stop rehabilitation services for voluntary participants serving sentences of less than one year. These include arranging suitable personal growth group activities for PICs to develop personal strengths, establish positive values and life goals, and strengthen their law-abiding awareness through assessments by professional social workers, thereby reinforcing their resolve to rehabilitate. Additionally, the project offers employment-related assistance and continues to follow up on the cases after their release from the correctional institutions. Through community activities, it helps PICs establish positive social networks and facilitates their successful reintegration into society.

Under the project, the Correctional Rehabilitation Research Unit of the CSD will collaborate with the University of Hong Kong to conduct a three-year study to track and research the rehabilitation situation of service users after their release.

Fire Services and Buildings Departments Launch Joint Operation to Address Industrial Building Fire Hazards and Safety Issues

FSD and BD conduct joint inspection and enforcement operation against industrial buildings

In response to earlier media reports on fire safety issues in certain industrial buildings, the Fire Services Department (FSD) and the Buildings Department (BD) are highly concerned about the situation and conducted a joint inspection and enforcement operation targeting industrial buildings from December 29 to 31, 2025, with a view to ensuring public safety.

The FSD and the BD inspected a total of nine industrial buildings located in various districts in Kowloon and the New Territories during the joint operation. The fire personnel identified a total of 261 irregularities related to various fire hazards, such as obstruction or locking of means of escape, defective or wedged-open smoke stop doors, as well as fire service installations or equipment (FSIs) that were defective or not in efficient working order. The FSD took immediate enforcement action against the persons concerned.

Among the cases related to obstruction of means of escape, the FSD instituted three prosecutions and issued 22 Fire Hazard Abatement Notices (FHANs), requiring the persons concerned to abate the fire hazards within a specified period. Should they fail to comply with the requirements of the FHANs within the period, the FSD will institute resolute prosecution. In addition, inspections revealed that some buildings had defective smoke stop doors and FSIs. The FSD will issue FHANs to the persons concerned and continue to take follow-up action.

The BD identified 13 subdivided flats suspected of being used illegally for domestic purposes. Further investigations are now under way, and letters have been sent to the relevant owners and occupiers asking them to contact the BD as soon as possible to arrange an inspection of their flats. Otherwise, the BD will consider applying for a court warrant to enter the premises for inspection. If it is confirmed that the flats in question have been used for illegal domestic purposes, the BD will take enforcement action in accordance with the Buildings Ordinance, including ordering the cessation of illegal domestic use and rectify the dangerous situations. The BD also identified in the operation that there was dilapidation in the exit staircases of one of the industrial buildings, but no obvious danger to the overall building structure was noted. The BD has issued a repair order to the owners' corporation for conducting the necessary repair work.

Apart from inspection and enforcement, the FSD also carried out fire prevention education and publicity at the same time during the operation to enhance fire safety awareness among owners and occupiers of industrial buildings, thereby mitigating fire risk from the source. The BD has also long been promoting building safety and the proper use of buildings through various channels, including distributing themed posters to management offices of industrial buildings for displaying in prominent places to serve as a reminder to owners and occupiers that industrial buildings must not be used illegally for domestic purposes.

Hong Kong Launches Jockey Club Project ReBond for One-Stop Rehabilitation of Short-Term Inmates

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