The Correctional Services Department (CSD) announced today (December 12) that the Approved Hand-in Articles e-Ordering Service will be fully implemented on December 17 to facilitate the visitation of visitors.
The service has been in a trial run at different correctional institutions in phases since September 10, 2024, to enable relatives and friends of persons in custody (PICs) to purchase approved hand-in articles for PICs via an online platform. The articles will be directly delivered to the correctional institutions concerned by the supplier.
A spokesman for the CSD said, "Positive responses have been received since the launch of the trial run of the service, which can reduce time for visitors to source the articles in the market and the inconvenience of carrying the articles to the correctional institutions. The service also shortens the time for correctional officers to conduct security checks and handle the articles, thereby enhancing the operational efficiency of correctional institutions."
The spokesman emphasised that the service aims to bring convenience to the public by providing them with an additional option. Visitors can continue to purchase articles for PICs using existing methods.
Visitors must be declared visitors of PICs to register for a user account on the Social Visit e-Services Platform before using the service. Visitors can register for an account through the following means:
- Use the "iAM Smart" mobile application;
- Visit the Social Visit e-Services Platform webpage (ebooking.icrms.csd.gov.hk/ebooking) via the CSD website or CSD mobile application to submit an application, and then go to the correctional institution where the PIC concerned was admitted in person for identity verification; or
- Visit the correctional institution where the PIC concerned was admitted in person to submit an application and undergo identity verification.
For more details of the service, please browse the information on the CSD website (www.csd.gov.hk/english/online_service/eservicesplatform.html).
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