FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1974
MORE PRISONS PLANNED TO BEAT OVERCROWDING
******
EVERYTHING POSSIBLE IS BEING DONE TO EASE OVERCROWDING IN HONG KONG'S PENAL INSTITUTIONS WHICH NOW HOLD MORE THAN 8,000 PRISONERS, THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, SAID TODAY.
TWO NEW INSTITUTIONS WILL BE COMPLETED AT PIK UK WITHIN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL ACCOMMODATION FOR 1,000 PRISONERS, HE SAID, AND PROJECTS AIMED AT PROVIDING A FURTHER 3,000 PLACES WERE ALREADY INCLUDED IN THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME.
+IN TERMS OF MANPOWER, MORE THAN 500 ADDITIONAL POSTS HAVE BEEN CREATED IN THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT SINCE APRIL 1 THIS YEAR SO AS TO MORE REALISTICALLY MEET THE DEPARTMENT'S REQUIREMENTS,+ HE ADDED.
THE GOVERNOR WAS SPEAKING AT THE ANNUAL INSPECTION OF THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT HELD AT STANLEY. TEN CONTINGENTS, COMPRISING 232 OFFICERS, TOOK PART.
THE COMMUNITY'S EFFORTS TO FIGHT VIOLENT CRIME HAD CONTINUED AND INTENSIFIED DURING THE PAST YEAR, HE SAID. THIS, COUPLED WITH THE LONGER SENTENCES BEING IMPOSED BY THE COURTS ON OFFENDERS, HAD RESULTED IN AN UNPRECEDENTED INCREASE IN THE PRISON POPULATION OVER THIS PERIOD. THE PRESENT PRISON POPULATION, HE NOTED, WAS 25 PER CENT MORE THAN IT WAS A YEAR AGO.
THE GOVERNOR SAID STEPS HAD CONTINUED TO BE TAKEN TO STRENGHTEN THE SENIOR AND MIDDLE MANAGEMENT OF THE DEPARTMENT. THE INSPECTOR OF PRISONS AND HIS TEAM WERE NOW FIRMLY ESTABLISHED, AND PROPOSALS WERE BEING CONSIDERED TO IMPROVE AND EXPAND INDUSTRIAL AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING ACTIVITIES IN PRISONS.
+
+BUT, THE GOVERNOR SAID, IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS THE SUCCESS OF THE DEPARTMENT WILL DEPEND LARGELY ON ITS OFFICERS.+
HE IMPRESSED ON THE OFFICERS THAT THEY HAD A KEY ROLE TO PLAY IN THE COMMUNITY'S FIGHT AGAINST CRIME AND THEIR WORK REQUIRED A HIGH DEGREE OF DISCIPLINE, INITIATIVE AND DEDICATION,
AFTER INSPECTING THE PARADE, THE GOVERNOR PRESENTED MEDALS AND CLASPS TO 41 OFFICERS IN RECOGNITION OF THEIR LONG SERVICE.
AMONG THE GUESTS ATTENDING WERE LADY MACLEHOSE AND SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICERS.
NOTE TO EDITORS:
COPIES OF THE FULL TEXT OF THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS ARE BOXED FOR COLLECTION TOGETHER WITH A LIST OF THE NAMES OF THE OFFICERS AWARDED MEDALS AND CLASPS.
/4