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Thursday, September 20, 1973
"It is only through community involvement of this kind that the
public can meet the offenders and see for themselves what makes a
delinquent. The public would soon realise through the volunteers where
the responsibility lies in the prevention of crime and delinquency."
Volunteers for this type of project, he added, must be carefully
chosen. Besides having good characters they should be mature and have
a good knowledge of the local community as well as wide personal contacts.
Above all, they must have a desire to help their fellow men.
Mr. Lee said the volunteers were briefed about the work of the
probation service before they were introduced to the probationers.
'While volunteers may be personally interested and enthusiastic
about befriending and helping a probationer, it must not be taken to mean
that they are taking over the work and responsibility of the probation
officer who retains the ultimate and full responsibility for the supervision
of those under his charge. The volunteers assist the probationers by
doing something which requires no professional skills," Mr. Lee said,
An evaluation of the pilot project will be undertaken at a
later stage when the service will be examined in the light of its practicability
in the local situation rather than being adopted blindly following the
pattern of other countries.
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