Challenges facing young men returning from incarceration in Hong Kong

While prisoner re-entry has garnered increasing interest in Western scholarship, scarce attention has been paid to the situation in Hong Kong, despite it possessing one of the higher imprisonment rates in Asia, and its reliance on custodial sentences to rehabilitate young offenders. Drawing upon the experiences of a sample of formerly-incarcerated young males, this article informs on how young ex-prisoners receive little familial/social support, and how finding legitimate employment is difficult for returning ex-prisoners in Hong Kong. Young ex-prisoners perceive themselves to be facing the challenges of re-entry alone. Implications and recommendations for government and social services are discussed. © 2014 The Howard League and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.