Digitizing Correctional Services for Compassionate Smart Discipline

PUBLIC SECTOR

Company Profile

The Hong Kong Correctional Services Department (CSD) is the government body responsible for providing a safe, secure, decent and humane environment for the detention of persons in custody (PICs), and facilitating their return to the community as law-abiding citizens through comprehensive rehabilitative services. To tie in with the Government’s drive to build Hong Kong into a world class smart city, the CSD is actively incorporating innovative technologies at correctional facilities to enable intelligent correctional services and improve public services.

Challenges

The intelligent correctional services initiative seeks to utilize technology to improve the digital infrastructure of prison management, eliminate data disparity implied among separate penal management systems and streamline repetitive manual workflows in penal operation. The CSD sought a trustworthy partner in Lenovo PCCW Solutions (LPS) to deliver the solution, namely, to integrate its pre-existing legacy systems with focus on streamlining manual processes into an accessible central platform. In conjunction with this major infrastructural overhaul, further improvements and new services in its digital transformation roadmap would be required to improve quality of services for CSD staff, PICs and their loved ones, as well as to bolster operational efficiency, safety, and data integrity.

Solutions

LPS was entrusted by the CSD to design, develop and implement a comprehensive digital solution, migrating its existing eight core systems into 42 domains to form a new Integrated Custodial and Rehabilitation Management System (iCRMS). This is a unified platform through which previously segregated processes operated via different penal operative systems can now be accessed and managed as one.

In addition to the fundamental improvements of the iCRMS, LPS has also been engaged in the development of a robust and multifaceted Social Visit e-Booking System. This system enables early registration and forward planning of visitations through multiple avenues - including in-person, online, and via the HK iAMSmart mobile app, resulting in shortened waiting time and provision of more options and greater convenience to relatives and friends trying to stay connected with their loved ones during their incarceration.

Value created

The comprehensive digital solutions foster major strides towards digitalization of the correctional services and humanization of the rehabilitation process. The pioneering introduction of self-service kiosks in all correctional facilities has remolded PICs’ lifestyles. PICs are able to submit their requests in multiple perspectives, such as applying for additional visits and pre-ordering canteen purchase items, providing opportunities to take personal ownership and supporting their reintegration into the society.

The iCRMS is connected to the IoT and is easily accessible through mobile handsets, tablets, self-service kiosks, and other handheld devices. With the aid of these newly-introduced devices, frontline staff are now able to accomplish the assigned tasks with greater speed and accuracy, ranging from operating PIC’s routine, managing PICs’ requests, to patrolling in the nighttime, etc. allowing better alignment with management strategies and minimizing the risk of human error. Real-time information and detailed breakdowns of available resources are available as easily digestible information for strategic decision-making. Data collection and usability are improved both quantitatively and qualitatively, helping to ensure data privacy and protection while unlocking new avenues for planning and management through trusted data.

Overall, the digital solutions have paved the way for the development of intelligent correctional services in Hong Kong, serving as the solid infrastructure upon which the CSD can further expand and upgrade in the future.

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