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SUNDAY, MAY 18, 1980
BETTER USE OF PRISON LABOUR
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THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT IS EXPANDING ITS WORKS UNIT TO HAVE A GROUP OF TECHNICAL STAFF TO OVERSEE MORE EXTENSIVE AND EFFECTIVE USE OF PRISON LABOUR IN CONSTRUCTION WORK.
THIS FOLLOWS THE RESULT OF A STUDY CARRIED OUT JOINTLY BY THE PRISONS AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENTS WHICH INDICATED THAT MUCH OF THE BUILDING MAINTENANCE WORK AS WELL AS MINOR ALTERATION AND
IMPROVEMENT WORKS IN THE PRISON INSTITUTIONS WERE SUITABLE FOR PRISON LABOUR.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT SAID THE NEW APPROACH HAD THE ADVANTAGE OF GIVING REHABILITATIVE TRAINING TO THE PRISONERS AS WELL AS ACHIEVING GREATER SECURITY BY MINIMISING THE NEED FOR ADMITTING OUTSIDE CONTRACTORS INTO THE INSTITUTIONS.
HE ADDED: +IN FACT, THE USE OF PRISON LABOUR FOR SUCH WORK HAS BEEN A PRACTICE FOR MANY YEARS BUT HAS BEEN ON A MORE LIMITED SCALE THAN WE NOW ENVISAGE.+
THE TECHNICAL STAFF TAKEN ON INCLUDE A CHIEF TECHNICAL OFFICER, TWO CLERKS OF WORKS AND FOUR ASSISTANT CLERKS OF WORKS WHO ARE ALL SECONDED FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
THE CHIEF TECHNICAL OFFICER, MR RODNEY ALLEN, HAS RECENTLY ARRIVED FROM BRITAIN TO TAKE UP HIS POST AS HEAD OF THE UNIT. HE WILL SHORTLY BE JOINED BY THE OTHERS.
MR ALLEN HAS WORKED FORMERLY WITH THE PWD ON ATTACHMENT FROM THE ROYAL ENGINEERS, FROM WHICH HE RECENTLY RETIRED AFTER 22 YEARS' SERVICE.
THE EXPANDED WORKS UNIT WILL SUPERVISE ALL CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MAINTENANCE WORK ON SITE AND WILL LIAISE WITH CONTRACTORS EMPLOYED ON LARGER PROJECTS.
IN ADDITION, THE CHIEF TECHNICAL OFFICER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PLANNING THE PROGRAMME OF CONSTRUCTION WORK FOR THE DEPARTMENT LIAISING WITH THE PWD ON SPECIFIC PROJECTS, AND GIVING ADVICE ON OTHER MATTERS.
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