Project Change

Psychosocial counselling and legal support are provided by Project Change for arrested protesters.

• Dr Pauline Sung-Chan and Brian Wong share with us their objectives to support young people no matter what their political views or perspectives are.

• Their targets are youth under 25 arrested because of the social incident. • 蛻變計劃（Project Change）為被捕青年提供心理 輔導及法律支援。 • 宋陳寶蓮博士及黃裕舜先生跟讀者分享他們計劃以 青年為本、不分政見立場的宗旨。 • 他們的服務對象為25歲以下、因參與社會事件而 被捕的青年。

Immense stress, anxiety and emotional turmoil follow Family-centered therapy is at the Project’s core with the arrest and the mental health and wellbeing of participants emphasis on ameliorating tense family relations and increasing are priorities at Project Change. “Our goals are to advocate parental support. “Our therapists are professionally trained a non-partisan, de-politicized, youth-centred approach,” to be sensitive, open-minded and professional,” says Pauline. explains Brian Wong. He says the Project fills a gap in existing Family members can only participate with the consent of the counselling services and has staff with relevant expertise to young arrestees in alignment with the principle of upholding work with lawyers handling the intricacies of the legal process. their autonomy. “The most common hurdle is helping parents or guardians find the right balance in constructive “Regardless of political or reconnection with their kids ideological standpoint, our and the key is to be neither future generation deserves We firmly believe that healing and over-protective nor permissive.” more than just ostracization or lip-service,” says Dr Pauling supporting these young people ought A mixture of one-on-one Sung. “We offer genuine to be an area of concern irrespective and group-based therapy is support and firmly believe that healing and supporting of political standpoint. used. “Participants discuss and reflect upon past these young people ought to events in Hong Kong in an be an area of concern irrespective of political standpoint.” organically collective manner, but also in ways that would heal, as opposed to exacerbate, the divides that have emerged While outlining the referral process that brings young people to between family members,” Pauline continues. Therapy them, Brian says establishing trust is important but sometimes and support is not only offered to the young people but difficult. “Arrested youths are usually referred to us by someone also their associates, including family members who enroll. whom they know well: school principals, university staff, “Therapy is about restoring agency to the hands of the defense lawyers, social workers or peers who know us.” youth. There can be no agency without family or society.”

Healing cannot begin without shunning ideological predispositions in favour of unifying factors.

Describing the dilemma of young protesters facing trial, Pauline says, “They are usually unable to make decisions in their own best interests.” This is because of peer pressure or post-trauma withdrawal, especially given their relative lack of legal knowledge and the attitudes of parents and guardians. “We seek to help them receive the best-possible treatment and outcome given their situation and wellbeing.”

“We have also been able to help the youth self-reflect critically,” she continues, “so that they can see their options while bearing in mind the undesirable impact of their actions on parents or significant others. Young people in the project are usually empowered to consider how they ought to communicate their commitment towards responsible citizenship in future - if given a second chance.”

A criminal record does nothing for youth who are seeking to start afresh. As Brian points out, “An over-punitive approach would only further ostracize them, as opposed to reintegrating them.” Besides the stigma, a citizen with a criminal record may encounter practical difficulties later on in life, in areas such as career advancement and emigration. “Only appropriate treatments that are sensitive to the needs of arrestees within the judicial framework can lead to full reintegration in society.”

It is with this objective in mind that Project Change prepares psychosocial reports on participants. These have potential reference value when the police, the prosecution or the judge consider findings. For arrestees who show remorse for minor offences, the judiciary and law enforcement departments may turn to arrangements that do not carry a criminal record, namely, Police Superintendent Discretionary Scheme (PSDS), and O.N.E. Bind-Over orders [see box]. The former is restricted to offenders under 18 while there is no age limit for the latter.

Arrested youth whose offences are not minor do not qualify for PSDS or O.N.E. Bind-Over orders. If convicted, the psychosocial reports on them can be used by judges when deciding on penalties. They provide details of personal background and circumstances and judges may consider alternatives to imprisonment such as community service orders, probation orders or detention in a training or rehabilitation centre.

Pauline speaks of the profound effect that working on Project Change has wrought on her personally. “This experience has offered me invaluable insight into the mindsets and values of youth, some of whom have vastly different backgrounds or have drastically different ideological positions and values from my own.”

“This project has only reinforced my conviction that our city is deeply in need of healing,” she concludes. “Healing cannot begin without shunning ideological predispositions in favour of unifying factors such as our shared commitment to mental health or our belief that Hong Kong’s youth deserves better than being admonished and patronized.”

Alternatives to prosecution

PSDS Instead of being brought before a court, young people in the Police Superintendent Discretionary Scheme (PSDS) are cautioned and then placed under police supervision for two years. The scheme is used for minor offences. A caution is not a criminal conviction and so there is no obligation to disclose it.

O.N.E. Bind Over In a bind-over order, the court agrees to withdraw charges in return for a promise of good behaviour for a period up to three years. Such an order ca n be applied to youth who have no previous criminal record and whose offence is not too serious. The accused is technically acquitted and has no criminal conviction record.

Source clic.org.hk/en/topics/policeAndCrime/criminal_liability_and_penalties/q2.shtml

Project Change was launched in June 2020 by professionals and academics in social work, psychology, psychiatry and law. Participants enrol free of charge. All expenses are covered by donors and supporters. Services are delivered by a financially and operationally independent policy think tank called Citizen Action Design Lab (CADL) of which Dr Pauline Sung-Chan is Founding Director and Brian Wong is secretary.

More details cadlprojectchange.org/en/