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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1977
MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT PRISON WORK DISPELLED
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THE COMMISSIONER OF PRISONS. MR. T.G. GARNER THIS AFTERNOON DISPELLED SOME MISCONCEPTIONS THAT STILL PREVAIL TODAY ABOUT THE WORK OF THE SERVICE DESPITE THE MANY CHANGES THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE OVER THE PAST YEARS.
ADDRESSING A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE POTARY CLUB OF KOWLOON, AR. GARNER SAID THAT WHEN HONG KONG CAME INTO BEING IN 1341, IT RA NOT UNCOMMON IN THOSE DAYS FOR PRISONERS TO DE FLOGGED AND SOMETIMES RECEIVING AS MANY AS 100 LASHES.
+THE CHAIN GANG WAS VERY MUCH IN EXISTENCE BUT DESPITE THIS, THE PRISON POPULATION GREW AND IN 1863 DUE TO THE SHORTAGE OF ACCOMMODATION THE HULK OF A SHIP, THE 'ROYAL SAXON', MAS BOUGHT AND MOORED OFF STONECUTTERS ISLAND TO HOUSE SOME 280 MEN.
+VERY SOON AFTER 38 PRISONERS DROWNED WHEN A BOAT CAPSIZED ALONGSIDE THE HULK AND IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR THERE WAS A MASS ESCAPE BY 100 PRISONERS.
+NEEDLESS TO SAY, THAT SPELT THE END OF THAT METHOD ACCOMMODATING PRISONERS WHICH IN ANY CASE MUST HAVE BEEN A NIGHTMARE FOR THE STAFF.+
THE COMMISSIONER THEN STRESSED THAT TODAY'S PRISON SERVICE IS A FAR CRY FROM THAT OF YESTERYEARS. NEVERTHELESS, HE STATED THAT THE SERVICE STILL HAS ITS GOOD AND ITS EAD STANDARD OF ACCOMMODATION,
+THIS 13 NO DIFFERENT TO ANY OTHER PRISON SERVICE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD INCLUDING THAT OF MANY OF THE MORE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES.+
HE EXPLAINED: +IN THE NELER INSTITUTIONS WITH SOME EXCEPTIONS, WE HAVE THE GOOD; IN THE OLDER LIKE VICTORIA RECEPTION CENTRE AND MA HANG PRISON, WE HAVE THE BAD, AND WHILE IN THE LATTER INSTITUTION, ONE CAN SAY THAT CONDITIONS ARE TOLERABLE.
+NEVERTHELESS, THEY LEAVE VERY MUCH TO BE DESIRED BOTH FOR PRISONERS AND STAFF AND THE PRISON SERVICE IS VERY CONSCIOUS OF SUCH CONDITIONS.+
DISPELLING THE POPULAR MISCONCEPTION THAT THE STANDARDS OF PENAL INSTITUTIONS ARE BUILT TOO HIGH, MR. GARNER STRESSED THAT IT WAS UNFORTUNATE THAT MANY PEOPLE IN HONG KONG CONFUSE CLEANLINESS FOR LUXURY, FOR, WITHOUT DOUBT, HE ADDED, PRISONS IN HONG KONG ARE CLEAN AND ARE PROBABLY THE CLEANEST IN THE WORLD.
THE COMMISSIONER POINTED OUT THAT ALL FACILITIES IN OUR INSTITUTIONS ARE EASIC AND IN SOME AREAS SPARSE.
ANOTHER ISCONCEPTION WAS THE TEAM AT ICONS LEPIFTENT+
· U ICH, MR. GARNER SAID, APPARENTLY CIVES 18E TO THE PRESS10. THAT EVERY INSTITUTION WHICH IS ADV1.1STEED BY THE DEPARTMENT IS A PRISON.
/+I WISH TO