It was built in 1984, and is managed by the Hong Kong Correctional Services.

The prison was built with high-tech security features including a 160-camera video surveillance system and infrared perimeter alarm, as well as a solar energy water heating system, the government's largest such solar energy system at that time.

[3] Located below the dam of the Shek Pik Reservoir, the prison remains a maximum-security institution.

[4] As a well fortified prison, Shek Pik had advanced infrared perimeter alarm systems, wireless communication networks, and a closed-circuit television system worth over HK$4 million upon its initial operation, including over 160 surveillance cameras and 36 television monitors in the control room.

[5] The prison also had the second-largest solar energy system in Hong Kong at the time, covering an area of 480 square meters, primarily to provide hot water for the prison.