SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 1977
DETENTION CENTRE PROGRAMME A GOOD PIECE OF PRISON REFORM
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THERE HAS BEEN A DECREASE IN THE PERCENTAGE OF OFFENDERS UNDER 21, DUE IN PART TO THE SUCCESS OF THE DETENTION CENTRE PROGRAMME WHICH HAS DEALT WITH OVER 2,300 YOUNG OFFENDERS.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE DIRECTOR OF BROADCASTING, MR. J.B. HAWTHORNE AT THE PASSING-OUT PARADE OF 79 OFFICERS AND ASSISTANT OFFICERS OF THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT AT ITS STAFF TRAINING INSTITUTE IN STANLEY THIS (SATURDAY) MORNING.
MR. HAWTHORNE POINTED OUT THAT THE DROP HAS BEEN FROM OVER 22 PER CENT AT THE BEGINNING OF 1974 TO ABOUT 15 PER CENT AT THE END OF MARCH THIS YEAR.
HE SAID THE DETENTION CENTRE PROGRAMME DEALS WITH CERTAIN TYPES OF YOUNG OFFENDERS IN A MUCH SHORTER PERIOD AND HE DESCRIBED THE SYSTEM AS A SUCCESSFUL PIECE OF PRISON REFORM.
THE DIRECTOR RECALLED THAT IN THE TWO YEARS 1974-75, THE PRISON POPULATION HAD RISEN RAPIDLY AND CAUSED PUBLIC CONCERN, BUT 1976-77 HAS SO FAR SEEN A LEVELLING OUT OF THE PRISON POPULATION.
TACKLING OF THE DRUG PROBLEM, MR. HAWTHORNE CONTINUED, HAS BEEN ANOTHER SUCCESS.
IN SPITE OF THE VERY LARGE NUMBERS OF ADDICTS WHO ARE STILL ADMITTED INTO PENAL INSTITUTIONS, MANY DIFFERENT MEASURES HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED IN RECENT YEARS AND HAVE PROVEN SUCCESSFUL, HE SAID.
NOT THE LEAST OF THESE HAVE BEEN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FIVE LABORATORIES WHICH COMPLETED NEARLY 350,000 TESTS AND HAVE THUS PROVIDED A MONITORING SERVICE WITHIN THE PRISON POPULATION AND FOR THOSE UNDER AFTER CARE, HE ADDED.
MR. HAWTHORNE POINTED OUT TWO FURTHER IMPORTANT ACHIEVEMENTS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
+FIRST, THE SETTING UP OF STAFF CONSULTATIVE COUNCILS TO PROVIDE A FÓRUM FOR STAFF AT BOTH JUNIOR AND SENIOR LEVELS TO AIR THEIR VIEWS, AND SECOND, THE PRISONS SERVICE SWINGS WITH THE TIMES AND ACQUIRES A NEW SUMMER UNIFORM, HE SAID.
THE DIRECTOR ALSO NOTED THAT THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT WAS PRESSING FORWARD WITH ITS PROGRAMME OF REHABILITATION: THE AFTER- CARE UNIT WITHIN THE DETENTION CENTRE HAS A BIG ROLE TO PLAY AND IT HAS CURRENTLY A CASE LOAD OF ABOUT 3,000 INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE UNDER AFTER-CARE SUPERVISION OF VARIOUS KINDS. THEREFORE, THE PRISONS SERVICE IS ALSO MINDFUL OF ITS NEED TO PROTECT SOCIETY.+
HE TOLD THE NEW RECRUITS THAT THEY COULD LOOK FORWARD TO A WORTHWHILE AND TOTALLY ABSORBING CAREER.
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