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SOCIAL WELFARE
appeals were heard by the board. Of these, 10 related to the comprehensive social security assistance, 131 to the social security allowance and four to the traffic accident victims assistance.
Services for Offenders
The Social Welfare Department has several statutory duties in the field of services for offenders. These duties are to put into effect the directions of the courts on the treatment of offenders through social work methods. The overall objective is to rehabilitate offenders through probation supervision, the Community Service Orders Scheme, residential training for
young offenders and after-care services with the aim of reintegrating the offenders into the community.
A probation service is provided in 11 probation offices which serve 10 magistracies, the District Courts and the High Courts. Probation officers make inquiries into the background and home surroundings of offenders, as the court may direct, and of prisoners for consideration of sentence reduction. They also supervise offenders in complying with the requirements of probation orders. Probation applies to offenders of all age groups from seven years onwards. It allows offenders to remain in the community under supervision and subject to prescribed rules set by the courts. The probation officers work closely with the probationers' families with a family-oriented approach. To promote community involvement in the rehabilitation of offenders, volunteers are recruited to befriend probationers and residents of institutions, and to assist them in activities that do not require professional skills and knowledge.
The Community Service Orders Scheme is a community-based treatment with punitive and rehabilitative aims. It requires an offender over the age of 14, who is convicted of an offence punishable by imprisonment, to perform unpaid work of benefit to the community and to receive counselling and guidance from a probation officer. The scheme covers the 10 magistracies.
The Young Offender Assessment Panel, run jointly by the Social Welfare Department and the Correctional Services Department, provides magistrates with a co-ordinated view on the most appropriate programme of rehabilitation for convicted young offenders aged between 14 and 25.
The Social Welfare Department operates seven residential institutions with a total capacity of 636 places, each with a slightly different training programme to cater for the needs of the residents. Educational, pre-vocational and character training are provided to assist juvenile offenders to return to the community as law-abiding citizens. The Begonia Road Boys' Home and Ma Tau Wei Girls' Home each consist of a remand home and a probation institution for juvenile offenders and youths in need of statutory care and protection. The Pui Yin Juvenile Home is a remand home for boys. The Pui Chi Boys' Home provides residential training for juvenile probationers. The O Pui Shan Boys' Home and Castle Peak Boys' Home are reformatory schools for boys aged under 16 on admission. The Kwun Tong Hostel is a probation hostel for young men aged between 16 and 21. Greater emphasis has been placed on group counselling, work with parents, development of volunteerism and participation in community activities among the boys and girls undergoing residential training all with very encouraging results. One of the projects planned and undertaken by the trainees was nominated to represent Hong Kong in the Commonwealth Youth Service Award 1993.