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Lee Siu On
Lee Siu On
Retired Correctional Services Department Staff
Sex: Male Birthyear: 1946 Age at Interview: 64 Education: Junior Secondary Occupation: Civil Servant Theme: Social Life Lee Siu On was a F.3 graduate in Sam Yuk Secondary School in 1966. He applied for a job in the Prisons Department and the venue of the interview was at Victoria Prison. The job requirement for warder was P.6 graduate and the applicants were asked to dictate 120 Chinese characters. Such task was not difficult for Lee since he was over qualified. He was taken to the “finger-print room”(Reception Office) to do the dictation. One officer scared the applicants by telling them not to lose their identity cards because they would be imprisoned there without one. Lee was young and got scared. He entered the training school in Stanley on June 13, 1966 and became the first batch of trainees who received 6-months’ training (the training period varied before from 2 to 3 months). The salary was $315/month. Later on, Lee Siu On had his second “trial shift”(internship) back in Victoria Prison, which lasted for 2 weeks.
Title Lee Siu On's interview in Victoria Prison Date 30/11/2010 Subject Social Life Duration 3m30s Language Cantonese Material Type Video Collection Oral History Archives Repository Hong Kong Memory Project Note to Copyright Copyright owned by Hong Kong Memory Project Accession No. LSO-YCL-HLT-001 The prison lights went on at 6am every day. The inmates would get out of the cell blocks carrying 2 buckets with them, one for water and the other one with their excrements. The inmates needed to clean their excrement buckets, made up their beds and lined up at the dining hall for breakfast. Victoria Prison served as a reception centre in the 1960s, so the inmates were not required to work.
Title Prisoners' life in Victoria Prison Date 30/11/2010 Subject Social Life Duration 1m11s Language Cantonese Material Type Video Collection Oral History Archives Repository Hong Kong Memory Project Note to Copyright Copyright owned by Hong Kong Memory Project Accession No. LSO-YCL-HLT-002 Lee Siu On had his job interview with the Prisons Department in Victoria Prison in 1966, and then came back for internship during his training. He left Victoria Prison in 1977 and served in other correctional facilities, nevertheless, he keeps his tight with Victoria Prison. When the Correctional Services Officers’ Association was formed in 1983, his superiors agreed to let them use the staff day room as the association’s meeting place. Lee retired in 2002 and joined the Association for the Retired Staff of the Hong Kong Correctional Services Department, Victoria Prison was also the meeting place of the members. When the prison de-commissioned in 2006, Lee represented the department as a tour guide, introducing this place with historical significance and memories to the public. He thinks the entire Central Police Station Compound should be preserved since it is a place with important historical significance.
Title Lee Siu On and Victoria Prison Date 30/11/2010 Subject Social Life Duration 2m7s Language Cantonese Material Type Video Collection Oral History Archives Repository Hong Kong Memory Project Note to Copyright Copyright owned by Hong Kong Memory Project Accession No. LSO-YCL-HLT-003 The prisoners had different rations every day. The prison provided Chinese, Indian and Western diets according to the prisoners’ nationalities. Since 1970, vegetable diet was also available in respect for the prisoners’ religion believes. Indian diet was available in the 1960s with curry, chapatti, green beans etc. There was O/N meal (O/N stood for “other national”) with bread, cheese and milk tea. Although Japanese and Vietnamese prisoners were called “other national” as well, they could not have O/N meals. The prison would determine what the best diet was for the prisoner. If a prisoner broke the rules in prison, he/she would receive the“rice and water”punishment by locking them in a cell block in Hall D for 7 days, having 2 meals a day only with rice, a cup of tea and some salt (the meals were not served by the normal antimony plate with compartments but just a plain one). The “rice and water” punishment was abolished in 1981 due to human right concern.
Title Victoria Prisoners' diet from 1960 to 1970 Date 30/11/2010 Subject Social Life Duration 3m3s Language Cantonese Material Type Video Collection Oral History Archives Repository Hong Kong Memory Project Note to Copyright Copyright owned by Hong Kong Memory Project Accession No. LSO-YCL-HLT-004 Lee Siu On assisted flogging from 1970-73 when he was an officer in Stanley Prison. He observed that most of the offenders who received flogging were young people who were convicted for robbery and other crime. Since Community Service Order was not introduced until later years, the judge often sentenced flogging for young offenders. Lee Siu On received the offender from the police at the prison and brought them to the reception office and superintendent office for identity verification. The offender had to be checked by the medical officer before receiving flogging. The medical officer would determine if the offender was fit for the punishment. All the prisoners Lee encountered were fit. After the medical checkup, the offender was taken to a room next to the execution chamber in Block H to receive the punishment. Lee Siu On helped to stable the flogging stand when the offender was being flogged. He would then take the offender to the bus stop near the prison after the punishment was over.
Title Flogging Date 30/11/2010 Subject Social Life Duration 3m46s Language Cantonese Material Type Video Collection Oral History Archives Repository Hong Kong Memory Project Note to Copyright Copyright owned by Hong Kong Memory Project Accession No. LSO-YCL-HLT-005