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SUNDAY, APRIL 15, 1984
PRISONERS CAN ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMMUNITY
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RESIDENTS OF SO KWUN WAT VILLAGE NOW FEEL MORE SECURE WHEN USING THE SINGLE-TRACK ROAD LEADING TO THE VILLAGE.
THEY USED TO BE WORRIED ABOUT TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS OVER THE 3.2-KM-LONG ROAD WITH ITS MANY BENDS WHERE LONG GRASS AND HEAVY UNDERGROWTH ON BOTH SIDES TENDED TO OBSTRUCT THE VIEW OF PEDESTRIANS AND MOTORISTS.
THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT ORGANISED A WORK FORCE OF 22 PRISONERS FROM TAI LAM CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION TO CLEAR THE UNDERGROWTH A FEW MONTHS AGO.
IN RECOGNITION OF THE DEPARTMENT'S ASSISTANCE, THE VILLAGERS RECENTLY PRESENTED A BANNER TO THE INSTITUTION.
THIS WAS BUT ONE OF THE 57 COMMUNITY PROJECTS COMPLETED BY PRISONERS LAST YEAR, THE GENERAL MANAGER OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES INDUSTRIES, MR RAYMOND LAI, SAID TODAY.
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HE SAID SPECIALLY SELECTED PRISONERS SERVING SHORT SENTENCES OR NEAR THE END OF A LONGER SENTENCE WERE OFTEN EMPLOYED ON COMMUNITY PROJECTS SPONSORED BY THE GOVERNMENT, DISTRICT BOARDS AND VARIOUS SUBVENTED, CHARITABLE OR VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS.
LAST YEAR, OVER 210 000 MAN-DAYS WERE SPENT ON SUCH PROJECTS WHICH INCLUDED CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF ROADS AND FOOTPATHS, BEACH CLEANING, MAINTENANCE OF GARDENS AND AFFORESTATION,
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT WORK AT SAN TIN IN THE NEW TERRITORIES WAS CITED BY MR LAI AS ANOTHER IMPORTANT PROJECT UNDERTAKEN BY PRISONERS LAST YEAR.
+BEFORE THEY STARTED A THREE-MONTH CLEAN-UP OPERATION IN FEBRUARY, THE STREAM COURSE IN SAN TIN WAS POLLUTED, OVERGROWN WITH WEEDS AND BLOCKED BY REFUSE.
+AT THE REQUEST OF THE YUEN LONG DISTRICT OFFICE, THE DEPARTMENT MOBILISED 40 PRISONERS TO CARRY OUT THE OPERATION, HE SAID.
THE LARGEST PROJECT WAS THE ERECTION OF PARTS OF THE FRONTIER FENCE AND THE CLEARING OF UNDERGROWTH IN THE VICINITY. REGULAR MAINTENANCE TEAMS NOW CHECK AND REPAIR THE FENCE FROM SHA TAU KOK TO LOK MA CHAU,
MR LAI POINTED OUT THAT BY PARTICIPATING IN COMMUNITY PROJECTS, PRISONERS COULD ALSO REGAIN SELF-CONFIDENCE AND FOSTER A SENSE OF COMMUNITY BELONGING.
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