N
E
SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 1977
A NUMBER OF NEW PROJECTS WERE ALREADY BEING UNDERTAKEN BY THE P.W.D. ON BEHALF OF THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING A NEW CENTRE AT LAI KING WITH STAFF QUARTERS AND ROOM FOR 260 INMATES WHICH WOULD REPLACE THE FORMER STANLEY TRAINING CENTRE BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.
IN ADDITION A NEW MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON AT SHEK PIK FOR 480 INMATES HAD BEEN APPROVED AND SHOULD BE READY IN 1980.
MR. MCDONALD SAID HE ALSO HOPED TO OBTAIN APPROVAL IN THE COMING MONTHS TO PROCEED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF STAFF QUARTERS AT SHA TSUI FOR THE EXTENSION OF THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT'S STAFF TRAINING INSTITUTE, AND THE REBUILDING OF STANLEY PRISON.
MR. MCDONALD SAID HE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT WAS ALSO CONSIDERING EXPANDING ITS INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITIES FOR HELPING PRISONERS TO LEARN NEW SKILLS.
IN ONE OF THE INSTITUTIONS, HE SAID, PRISONERS WERE ALREADY MAKING FIBRE GLASS FURNITURE FOR THEIR CENTRE AS PART OF A +SELF-HELP+ SCHEME.
HE SAID INDUSTRIAL TRAINING OF PRISONERS WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE REHABILITATION PROCESS, AND INVOLVED MANY DIFFERENT TRADES, INCLUDING TAILORING, SILK-SCREENING, PRINTING, SHOE-MAKING, CARPENTRY, LAUNDERING, METAL WORK, RATTAN AND BAMBOO WARE, AS WELL AS FIBRE GLASS WORK.
MR. MCDONALD CONGRATULATED THE GRADUATING OFFICERS FOR ACHIEVING THE HIGH STANDARD REQUIRED OF THE IR PROFESSION WITH ITS WIDE-RANGING DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, AND URGED THEM TO MAINTAIN THE HIGH MORALE WITHIN THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT.
13