Politics
Written by: Zheng Baosheng
2020-01-09 22:40
Last updated: 2020-01-09 22:40Democrat Legislative Councilor Lin Zhuoting recently received complaints from several inmates at Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre, saying that the drink box provided by the Correctional Services Department was "cold" and unhygienic, so he wrote to the Commissioner of Correctional Services Hu Yingming on January 3. Ask for follow-up meal arrangements.
Huang Jielong, chairman and chief executive officer of the Shufu Building Group, who is also a JP, went to the Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre today (9th) to understand the reasons from the perspective of the practitioners in the catering industry.
Lin Zhuoting said that several people in custody complained that the lunch box arranged by the Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre had recently been converted from a styrofoam box to a carton box. The thermal insulation capacity had decreased and someone had had diarrhea after eating.
The Correctional Services Department's response to the "Hong Kong 01" inquiry also confirmed that, in response to environmental protection, food suppliers who provided private meals to the inmates in the custody had used non-plastic disposable tableware to hold food earlier last year.
About 200 people eat "private meal"
Huang Jielong attended the Justice of the Peace today, inspected the Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre and asked the supervisor related questions in detail from the perspective of a catering practitioner.
Huang Jielong explained that detainees have more freedom than convicted people. One of the differences is that they can choose to eat "private meals". In simple terms, they take out food at their own expense.
Huang Jielong said that the Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre provides three hot meals every morning, noon and evening. When visiting today, I tried too many toasts and chicken wings, and the taste was reasonable. Among the more than 1,000 detainees, about 200 would choose to eat "private meals", accounting for about 15% of detainees.
The restaurant is more expensive for environmentally friendly carton than styrofoam
At present, there are three restaurants designated for private meals. Detainees can apply for it, and family members can directly deal with the restaurant. The restaurant takes delivery to the Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre.
Huang Jielong said that the carton in the complaint was not a request from the Correctional Services Department for conversion, but that it was provided by the restaurant in response to environmental protection, and the cost was much more expensive than ordinary styrofoam lunch boxes. As for why the food was kept cool, after knowing it, he found it difficult to avoid.
Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre provides "cold lunch boxes" to persons in custody
It takes time to cook 200 meals each box
Take breakfast as an example. 3 suppliers must deliver 200 meals to the Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre on time every day at 7 am. Huang Jielong said that it would take "half an hour" to cook this portion of breakfast. After it is done, it will take time to be sent to the detention center, and the staff of the Correctional Services Department will conduct a security check for each boxed lunch, and confirm that there are no problems before sending it to the detention center.
Huang Jielong said that the staff of the Correctional Services Department had to check each box for contraband, 200 lunch boxes at a time. It can be imagined that the process will not be fast, so it is difficult to get it in the hands of the detainees.
Huang Jielong hopes that the director of the detention center will deliver meals as quickly as possible, emphasizing that human rights must be respected and treated fairly, regardless of whether they are arrested or in custody.
Fugitive Ordinance Huang Jielong Lin Zhuoting Human Rights
