Hong Kong's Correctional Services Department (CSD) announced on Tuesday changes to prisoners' earnings arrangements. They include delinking cigarette prices from the mechanism for adjusting prisoners' earnings.

A CSD spokesperson said the department conducted a review of prisoners' earnings arrangements in 2009. After detailed consideration, the department decided to delink cigarette prices from the mechanism for adjusting prisoners' earnings to encourage inmates to reduce smoking and to align with the Government's anti- smoking policy.

"The department will also adopt a unified approach to adjust the earnings of adult and young inmates when there are changes in the contract prices of canteen items, except cigarettes," said the spokesperson.

The changes will take effect on the same day.