Detention center in Hong Kong: A young offender's narrative

Abstract

This paper presents a clinical inquiry at how one young male ex-offender described his time in custody, how his time had been constructively spent during detention, and the effect of a detention center order on his offending behavior one year after his discharge. In so doing, it allowed him to talk about his institutionalized experience and to assess the impact of detention on him. The rich, long and in-depth interview data was presented in the form of direct quotations. First, an investigation of that insider's knowledge of the initial detention experience was given. Second, a description of how he 'did' his time in a place where a 'short, sharp shock' punishment was heavily stressed. Third, he was also asked to comment on the usefulness of detention on reducing criminal behavior. Finally, concluding thoughts on the corrective programs are given. © 2005 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.