LAW AND ORDER
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were no grounds for justifying any payments to the 16 associations included in this group, but that for the remain- ing 168 cases involving individuals the hypothetical assess- ments made by the Board should be reduced by 50% and that the resultant amount should be paid from public funds on purely compassionate grounds.
All applicants were immediately informed of the final deci- sion upon their individual applications, and payment of com- pensation by cheque or money order was made to applicants with reasonably certain addresses. For the remainder of the successful applicants payment was made either through the Treasury and its Kowloon Sub-Treasury or through the Social Welfare Office and Secretariat for Chinese Affairs, the latter departments dealing with cases involving juveniles or dependants resident in China.
In all, compensation amounting to $1,478,965 was approved to be paid, and by the end of the year all but $50,000 had already been collected.
PRISONS
There are now six establishments administered by the Commissioner of Prisons, with Headquarters in the Central District of Victoria.
Stanley Prison is situated on the Stanley Peninsula on the south of Hong Kong Island. It was built to accommodate 1,746 prisoners but has been overcrowded throughout 1957. The main buildings consist of six three-storeyed separate cell blocks, each with 286 cells. There are separate wards for European prisoners, for prisoners under punishment, and for previous offenders serving periods of five years and over. There is an excellent hospital and well-equipped work- shops, kitchen and laundry. 10,473 prisoners were received, the daily average number in custody being 2,420 (the daily average in 1956 was 2,461).
Victoria Prison is next to the Central Magistracy and within a few minutes of the Supreme Court, a situation well