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III. Drug-Dependence Prevention and Treatment Work (3) Macao Prison 1. Brief Introduction to Macao Prison Apart
from measures taken to deprive prisoners of their freedom and to put detainees
in collecting post, the major functions of Macao prison are to provide them
with social and economic assistance, psychological guidance, medical
attendance, health care, drug-stopping treatment and rehabilitation,
vocational training and education, and recreation activities with a view to
helping prisoners correct their errors and make a fresh start and make
preparations for establishing a new life after returning to society. 2. Drug-Stopping Treatment and Rehabilitation Work All
detainees or prisoners who are drug abusers receive follow-up guidance
provided by a technician or senior technician who possesses profession of
social work or psychology until they leave prison. Quite a number of inmates
had experience of drug-dependence and committed a crime as a result of drug
abuse before they were imprisoned, hence, prison authority set up voluntary
rehabilitation group to provide male prisoners who had experience of
drug-dependence with drug-stopping rehabilitation service with a view of helping
them stop mal-behavior of drug abuse during the period of imprisonment and
establish a healthy lifestyle as well as preventing their relapse into drug
abuse and commitment of new crime after they leave prison. 3. Drug Abuse Prevention Work In
2002, Workshop of information collection for drug abuse in Macao was first
held in prison that was aimed at strengthening the detainees’ and the
prisoners’ awareness of the forms of the recently popular contraband
substances and the serious harm brought about by drug abuse, and enabling
them to understand the new forms of drug so as to reach the objective of drug
abuse prevention. Altogether 62 persons attended the workshop, 27 were female
prisoners, 17 male detainees and 18 male prisoners. 4. Number of Drug Abusers in 2002 Statistics
of the prison demonstrate that in 2002, the total number of male prisoners
were 813, 221 of them were drug abuses, accounting for 27.18% of the total
male prisoners; there were 115 female prisoners, 31 of them were drug
abusers, accounting for 26.96% of the total female prisoners. 5. Rehabilitation Group (1) Service Facilities The
rehabilitation group is located on the 5th Floor of Building 5 in the male
prison area; facilities on that floor include a dining hall, a
multi-functional activity room, a workroom, a sports room, and prison cells
for lodging members. (2) Treatment Mode Considering
the features of persons of drug-dependence, the necessity of drug-stopping
treatment and rehabilitation service, the practical conditions and human
resources of the prison, it takes treatment mode mainly including
Cognitive-behavior Approach, helping members correct their wrong cognition on
drug abuse and understand clearly the real harm and serious consequences of drug-taking,
put right mal-behavior and learn good behavior, learn new living experience
and skills so as to deal with pressures of daily life and human relations
with the aim of helping members to make the resolution to give up
mal-behavior of drug abuse.
(3)Activity Contents Activity
contents of drug-stopping and rehabilitation plan include lecture on special
subject, individual psychological guidance, group psychological guidance,
workshop, bodybuilding exercise, theme sharing, family get-together, and
group meeting. In 2002, the prison continued to invite several public-good
workers of the Macao Christian Prison Ministries to advise the members as
"experienced hands" by using their own experience as an example and
sharing their course of mind and to encourage them to be resolute of stopping
drug. Through friendly like guidance, the members could gain enlightenment
and encouragement from real experiences of "experienced hands",
thus strengthen their drug-stopping confidence. In addition, in 2002,
(4) Number of Members and Treatment Duration Members
enrolled are 20 at most, and course of treatment of drug-stopping and rehabilitation
plan is one year; when members finish one year treatment course, they can
apply for extended period on the basis of their own will. 6. In-Service Training and External Exchange The
prison places great emphasis on staff’s in-service training and links
and cooperation with related governmental and non-governmental institutions
and organizations. In August 2002, it sent staff to attend Course of combat
and investigation on drugs held by Academy of Public Security Forces of
Macao, participate in the compilation of Report on Drug Control in 2002, to
be present at regular work meetings held by related institutions, and
participate in publicity and popularizing activities of the International
Anti-Drug Day. 7. Prospect of Future Work In
the coming year, the prison will increase activity contents to improve the
drug-stopping and rehabilitation work, make good use of social resources in
continuously inviting voluntary organizations that will provide members with
sharing activities and group guidance, strengthen links and cooperation with
related institutions to establish supporting social network, and strengthen
professional training of the staff so as to improve their professional
knowledge and work quality. Apart from providing detainees and prisoners who
have experience of drug-dependence with individual guidance and drug-stopping
and rehabilitation service, the prison will carry out activities such as
lecture and workshop on anti-drug education and prevention in prison. |
