Tai Lam Centre for Women

Within the Tuen Mun district, stands the imposing Tai Lam Centre for Women. It’s a maximum-security prison operated by the Hong Kong Correctional Services. Established in 1969, Tai Lam Centre for Women has a long and complex history. Originally designed to hold 278 prisoners, it has, at times, been severely overcrowded. In 1992, due to an influx of illegal immigrants from Mainland China, the population swelled to nearly double its capacity, holding about 60% more prisoners than intended. At one point, Tai Lam Centre for Women housed a staggering 817 inmates. The overcrowding problem persisted even into the late 1990s. In 1997, a striking fact emerged about Tai Lam Centre for Women. Out of the entire staff, only two male guards, the technical instructor and the superintendent, had direct contact with the female prisoners. Over the years, Tai Lam Centre for Women has housed a number of notable figures, including political activist Agnes Chow, who was imprisoned there in 2021 for her involvement in unauthorized assemblies related to the 2019-2020 Hong Kong protests. Also held within its walls was Nancy Kissel, convicted of murdering her husband, Robert Kissel. Radio host Pamela Peck also served time at Tai Lam Centre for Women. The Tai Lam Centre for Women remains a significant institution in Hong Kong’s correctional system. Its story is a blend of operational challenges and the individual stories of the women who have passed through its gates.