SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 1977
P.W.D. DESIGNS PRISONS WITHOUT BARS
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THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT IS INTRODUCING A NEW FEATURE IN THE DESIGN OF PRISONS WHICH WILL OFFER GREATER SECURITY WITHOUT THE USE OF BARS ON WINDOWS.
THIS WAS DISCLOSED TODAY BY THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS MR. DAVID MCDONALD, AT A GRADUATION PARADE FOR 78 PRISON OFFICERS AT STANLEY.
THE FIRST PENAL INSTITUTION IN THE URBAN AREAS TO FEATURE THE NEW SYSTEM, HE SAID, WOULD BE THE KOWLOON RECEPTION CENTRE AT LAI CHI KOK WHICH SHOULD BE COMPLETED THIS YEAR TO HOUSE 980
INMATES.
AMONG THE NEW INNOVATIONS INCORPORATED IN THE SCHEME WAS A SPECIAL CELL DESIGN IN WHICH ISLANDS+ OF CELLS WERE SITED IN THE CENTRE OF EACH FLOOR WITH A PASSAGEWAY ALL ROUND BETWEEN THE CELLS AND THE EXTERNAL WALLS.
+THUS PRISONERS, WHILE RECEIVING THE BENEFIT OF LIGHT AND AIR FROM WINDOWS, HAVE NO DIRECT ACCESS TO THEM. BARS ACROSS WINDOWS ARE NO LONGER REQUIRED, SECURITY BEING ACHIEVED BY THE DESIGN OF THE WINDOWS THEMSELVES,+ HE SAID.
EACH OF THE ISLANDS+ OF CELLS WOULD BE DIVIDED BY A SERVICE PASSAGE WHICH WOULD HOUSE ALL BUILDING SERVICES SO THAT FAULTS IN THESE COULD BE ATTENDED TO WITHOUT THE NEED TO EVACUATE THE CELLS, HE ADDED.
MR. MCDONALD SAID THE KOWLOON RECEPTION CENTRE HAD BEEN DELIBERATELY SITED IN THE URBAN AREA IN ORDER TO PERMIT THOSE HELD ON REMAND TO HAVE EASIER ACCESS TO LEGAL COUNSEL AND TO FACILITATE VISITS BY RELATIVES AND FRIENDS.
+ADEQUATE VISITING FACILITIES ARE IMPORTANT AND ALL NEW INSTITUTIONS HAVE BEEN DESIGNED WITH THIS IN MIND, HE SAID. VISITING FACILITIES IN EXISTING ESTABLISHMENTS WERE ALSO BEING
IMPROVED.
MR. MCDONALD SAID THE PAST YEARS HAD SEEN MANY CHANGES IN THE CONCEPT OF PRISON DESIGN AND TO KEEP ABREAST OF LATEST DEVELOPMENTS P.W.D. STAFF HAD VISITED AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND AND THE UNITED KINGDOM TO SEE AND DISCUSS THE LATEST IMPROVEMENTS WITH PRISON AUTHORITIES THERE.
THERE WERE STILL A FEW INSTITUTIONS IN OLD BUILDINGS DESIGNED SOME TIME AGO WHEN HONG KONG'S OVERALL POPULATION AND ITS PRISON POPULATION WAS MUCH SMALLER, BUT THE OVERCROWDED SITUATION WAS BEING REMEDIED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, HE SAID.
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