“Disappeared” Prisoners: Unraveling the Dynamics of Crime and Corrections Data in Post-1997 Hong Kong

• In Event: Emerging Carceral Issues

Abstract

Data on simultaneity between crime rates and correctional populations has long been a key indicator of the intensity of the criminal justice response to crime. In this study, we conduct a comprehensive analysis of official crime and corrections data in post-1997 Hong Kong to explore the correlation between incarceration and reported crimes and its implications for the region’s criminal justice approaches to felonies and misdemeanors. Drawing on extensive data analysis, we provide an evidence-based and critical account of how criminal justice operations, particularly sentencing and related penal practices, are reformed and transformed in the face of a new trajectory of criminality in Hong Kong. The findings of this study exhibit inconsistencies and even contradictory trends in crime rates and correctional populations, which are largely attributed to Hong Kong’s effort to downplay penal severity and promote non-punitive orders through the differential treatment of offenders. This article not only provides insights into the intricate mechanisms underlying the interplay between crime and corrections data, but also engages in an analytical examination of large datasets, emphasizing the academic potential inherent in criminological empirical studies.

Authors

• Yi Liu, The University of Hong Kong

• Siying He, The University of Hong Kong

• Enshen Li, City University of Hong Kong