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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1976
PRISONS DEPARTMENT LAUDED
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THE OPERATIONS DIRECTOR OF THE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION, MR. JOHN PRENDERGAST THIS MORNING PAID TRIBUTE TO THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT.
ADDRESSING 74 PRISONS OFFICERS AND ASSISTANT OFFICERS AT A PASSING OUT PARADE AT THE STAFF TRAINING INSTITUTE IN STANLEY, MR. PRENDERGAST SAID THAT IN THE LAST 36 YEARS OR SO HE HAD SERVED IN A GOOD MANY COUNTRIES AND IN EACH HE HAD HAD CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE LOCAL PRISONS DEPARTMENT.
+) CAN SAY WITHOUT ANY FEAR OF CONTRADICTION THAT I HAVE FOUND NONE WHICH IS MORE EFFICIENT OR MORE UP TO DATE THAN THAT OF HONG KONG ALSO NONE HAS HAD TO COPE WITH THE RANGE AND COMPLEXITY OF OPERATIONS AND PROBLEMS WHICH CONFRONT THE HONG KONG PRISONS SERVICE,+ HE SAID.
+WHEN ONE SPEAKS OF PROBLEMS IN THIS CONTEXT, THE DUAL MENANCES OF DRUGS AND TRIADS NATURALLY FIGURE PROMINENTLY, HE ADDED.
REFERRING TO OFFENDERS WHO HAVE LONG SENTENCES TO SERVE OR THOSE SENTENCED TO LIFE, THE I.C.A.C. DIRECTOR SAID: THEY ARE STILL PEOPLE AND THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES DEMAND THAT SPECIAL CONSIDERATION BE GIVEN TO THEIR NEEDS AND THEIR WELL-EE ING. FOR THEM, THEIR PRISON CELL HAS BECOME THEIR HOME.
+GOVERNMENT AND THE COMMUNITY HAVE A VERY SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND OBLIGATION TO ENSURE THAT PRISONERS OF ALL GRADES ARE AT ALL TIMES HOUSED IN CONDITIONS OF A SATISFACTORY STANDARD PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO ARE SERVING LONG TERMS.+
ON RELATIONS BETWEEN I.C.A.C. AND THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT, MR. PRENDERGAST SAID THAT CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE TWO COULD NOT HAVE BEEN BETTER.
+ANOTHER REASON WHY I AM GLAD TO BE HERE TODAY IS THAT IT GIVES ME AN OPPORTUNITY OF PUBLICLY THANKING THE COMMISSIONER, HIS OFFICERS IN FACT, ALL RANKS AT VARIOUS PRISON ESTABLISHMENTS WITH WHICH I PERSONALLY HAVE HAD CONTACT IN THE LAST THREE YEARS,+ HE SAID.
+WHEN I SPEAK FOR MYSELF ALSO SAY THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF MANY OFFICERS FROM THE I.C.A.C., PARTICULARLY THE OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT, WHO HAVE HAD DEALINGS WITH YOU.
+ALL OF US HAVE AT ALL TIMES BEEN TREATED WITH THE UTYOST COURTESY AND HAVE BEEN GIVEN VALUABLE AND WILLING ASSISTANCE, WITHOUT WHICH OUR TASK WOULD HAVE BEEN EVEN MORE DIFFICULT.+
MR. PRENDERGAST EMPHASISED THAT THIS KIND OF CO-OPERATION SHCULD AND MUST EXIST BETWEEN ALL THOSE INVOLVED IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CRIME IN HONG KONG, EACH ONE OF US, HE POINTED OUT, WAS IN THE END TRYING TO ACHIEVE THE SAME THING, THAT WAS TO MAKE HONG KONG A BETTER AND SAFEP PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK.
/APPEALING