HONG KONG (SE): The Diocese of Hong Kong has long been concerned about the well being of people in custody and provides prisoners with religious services such as evangelisation, spiritual care, and pastoral care through the prison chaplaincies. Due to the increasing educational needs, the diocese has entrusted Caritas Hong Kong with establishing an education fund named, Light Up, to support the education of young people in prison.
The target group of the project will be inmates under the age of 35. The fund will be used to support persons in custody to continue their education, including tuition and examination fees for university courses. It will also support the career and life counselling for persons in custody, assisting their rehabilitation and integration into society.
In a letter posted online on March 23, Bishop Stephen Chow Sau Yan SJ said, “The rehabilitation and integration of individuals in custody back into society are essential missions of the Church. As such, it is critical that prisoners receive the necessary vocational training and education to facilitate their reintegration.”
He said that the Hong Kong Correctional Services Department had set up an education fund to support prisoners’ studies. However, in recent years, the number in need of assistance has dramatically increased and the help of the community is necessary.
The rehabilitation and integration of individuals in custody back into society are essential missions of the Church. As such, it is critical that prisoners receive the necessary vocational training and education to facilitate their reintegration
About 1,500 applications, under the education fund of the Correctional Services Department, have been approved each year in recent times. The average grant per successful applicant in 2021 is $2,700, which is not sufficient to meet the learning needs of inmates. As such, persons in custody may need to pay a certain amount of the tuition and examination fees for distance learning courses on their own.
Because of the insufficient education funds and the great demand among the inmates, it has become impossible to benefit all individuals in custody interested in pursuing further education.
The bishop called upon people from all walks of life to work together and support the diocese in raising funds for the needed resources to address the needs of rehabilitated inmates.
Coordinator of the project, vicar general, Father Paul Kam Po-wai, urged the faithful to support the project through donations, prayers and promoting it to people around them.
The fundraising target is $5 million. In the first phase of three years, it intends to help 1,200 inmates.
Donations can be made online via the website of Caritas-Hong Kong at https://www.caritas.org.hk/en/e_donation [beneficiary: Light Up] or through cheques made payable to “Caritas-Hong Kong” and mailed to Room 135, Caritas House, 2 Caine Road, Hong Kong, with the name of the fund “Light Up” written on the back of the cheque.
Enquiries can be made by contacting Chan Wai-leung, head of Youth and Community Service of Caritas-Hong Kong, at 2843 4688.
