The celebrated poet Oscar WILDE once measured his time behind bars by throbs of pain, bringing to light the harrowing experience shared by many incarcerated individuals. But today, amid the darkness, a ray of hope shines through. A partnership between the Hong Kong Correctional Services Department (CSD) and the Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences (SS) at CityU brings solace and healing to those in custody. It has driven both parties to gain a deeper understanding of criminal behaviours and effective ways to promote the well-being and rehabilitation of persons-in-custody (PICs).

The First Seed of Hope
Key to this collaboration is Professor Samuel HO Mun-yin of SS, who has been conducting research on traumatology and resilience for more than two decades. To maximise his research’s impact, Ho developed assessment tools, materials and protocols for evidence-based hope intervention in Hong Kong.

Ho’s research caught the attention of CSD and its team of clinical psychologists. The Department approached him with the idea of establishing the Psychological Gymnasium (Psy Gym), a prologue to the later partnership between CSD and SS and a prime example of how psychology scholars have collaborated with correctional service officers to enhance the quality of rehabilitation services.

Established in 2011, the facility is a personal growth and treatment centre for women, providing gender-specific assessment and treatment for women in custody. Ho provided valuable advice in setting up the Psy Gym, introducing positive psychology concepts such as cognition of hope, positive mindfulness and personal strength to the Psy Gym’s treatment model. The facility also allowed Ho to apply the hope intervention model, which has received highly positive feedback from both users and administrators, enhancing the model of rehabilitation in correctional facilities in Hong Kong and Asia.

The collaboration has yielded many positive outcomes. Dr Judy HUI Shuk-han, Senior Clinical Psychologist at CSD, says, “With Professor Ho’s consultation, he introduced positive psychology into Psy Gym treatment. We are delighted to see positive psychology helping female persons-in-custody to flourish.”

Additionally, Ho has suggested several research directions to enhance CSD services further, including collaborating in identifying the re-offending risk and need factors of female PICs, studying the relationship between hope and mental health of women in custody, and examining the prosocial profile of adult offenders.

Such insights have improved the quality of CSD services, highlighting the importance of partnerships between psychology scholars and correctional service providers in improving rehabilitation services for PICs.

A Treasure Trove of Triumphs
The partnership between SS and CSD has led to many successful strategies and applications. To dispense the wisdom, they co-organised a sharing forum titled “Gripping Insights: Recent Psychological Research on Hong Kong Corrections” on 30 May 2023. The event attracted more than 250 scholars, students and professionals in correctional services who were eager to learn from the partnership’s successes and hear the latest psychological research in the discipline.

Throughout the event, one theme arose that resonated with all in attendance: the significance of building bridges between corrections and psychology. CSD’s latest book Gripping Insights was introduced during the forum, offering a wealth of professional knowledge and wisdom gleaned from years of clinical practice and research conducted by clinical psychologists at CSD. The book covers an array of topics in the criminal justice system, including intervention for sexual offending and virtual reality technology in psychological treatment. It promised to be a treasure trove of empirical studies, research findings and practical examples of helping PICs with different profiles.

In the opening remarks, Professor Freddy BOEY Yin-chiang, President of CityU, described the collaboration between SS and CSD as a testament to the relevance of academic research. He was particularly impressed by the Department’s commitment to the community. “Academia should stand in the global world while having a foot on the local ground,” he said, highlighting community engagement as a new research direction.

Mr WONG Kwok-hing, Commissioner of Correctional Services, also delivered an opening address, affirming the decades of effort CSD has devoted to conducting evidence-based research. He noted that the Rehabilitation Division, which has been in operation for 25 years, has been at the forefront of this endeavour, combining scientific theories with clinical practice to improve the quality and efficiency of its services.

Meaningful Dialogues
As the forum continued, attendees were treated to a professional dialogue with an impressive line-up of discussants, including Ho, Hui, and Dr Vivian MAK Wai-ming, Senior Clinical Psychologist at CSD, as well as student representatives from CityU, The Chinese University of Hong Kong and The University of Hong Kong.

The discussants explored the book’s essence and implications for promoting rehabilitation and well-being in the correctional system. The conversation delved into the values of psychological services and how they can be integrated with clinical practice to drive positive outcomes.

The forum also featured videos showcasing stories of PICs and rehabilitated persons. These videos demonstrated the transformative impact of psychological services, showcasing first-hand accounts of how clinical practice, psychological research, and NGO collaborations have helped individuals tackle and overcome their challenges.

Later, many thought-provoking questions from the floor further enriched attendees’ insights into corrections and psychology. The participants hence left with a newfound appreciation of the multifaceted nature of serving time. Together, correctional services practitioners and psychology scholars may cultivate a new vision for rehabilitation’s future—one rooted in empathy, compassion and the belief that everyone deserves a second chance.