Occupancy rates in jails increased 2% to 113% last year, the Commissioner for Correctional Services said today.

Giving the Correctional Services Department's year-end review, Pang Sung-yuen said prison admissions and discharges in 2002 "were the highest in years" - admissions rising 17%, from 20,859 in 2001 to 24,359. Discharges increased 13% from 20,942 in 2001 to 23,714.

Mr Pang said the increases have put a heavy burden on frontline staff and described last year as a "hectic one" for the Department.

"However, I am glad to say we have managed successfully. Overcrowding remained a challenge, exerting considerable pressure and demand on staff, facilities and other resources. However, all our custodial and rehabilitative programmes were implemented effectively through improved efficiency and flexible redeployment of our resources," he said.

Female institutions remained the pressure point, he said, with a record high 2,861 women inmates as at January 3. The figure puts occupancy rates of female institutions at 188%.

"To address the problem, we took a number of initiatives including the conversion of some sections of male institutions to house female inmates as an interim measure," Mr Pang said.

"However, the long-term solution lies in the early implementation of the co-location project. It is our hope that we can obtain as soon as possible funding to carry out the feasibility study on building a medium-sized 7,220-place co-location facility on Hei Ling Chau."

On meeting Government cost cutting targets, Mr Pang said that as staff salaries and allowances represented about 85% of Department expenditure, he would closely consult staff to find a money-saving solution that will least effect service quality.

"Although we were faced with various problems in 2002, we achieved a number of impressive results," he said, referring to the Rehabilitation Centre Programme opening in July, the Video Visit Scheme extension to more institutions in remote areas, and the trial of the Video Legal Visit Scheme.

The latter allows lawyers to use the High Court visit room to videoconference inmates at Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre.

The Department's other achievements included winning the inaugural President's Award of the International Corrections and Prisons Association, ISO 14001 certification for environmental protection efforts at Hei Ling Chau, and it launched the e-Learning portal to provide a time-saving, convenient and cost-effective mode of learning for staff.