FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1984
CIVIC WORK PLAN FOR OFFENDERS
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A TWO-YEAR PILOT PROJECT WILL BE INTRODUCED TO ASSESS THE SUITABILITY OF A COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDER SCHEME FOR OFFENDERS IN HONG KONG.
A BILL PROVIDING THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE OPERATION OF SUCH A COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDER SCHEME HAS BEEN PUBLISHED IN THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE TODAY AND WILL BE INTRODUCED INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SHORTLY,
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID: THE PILOT SCHEME WILL ALLOW US TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDERS ON OFFENDERS, IN PARTICULAR THE EXTENT TO WHICH OFFENDERS WHO HAVE SERVED SUCH A SENTENCE SUBSEQUENTLY RETURN TO CRIME.+
HE SAID THAT THE PILOT PROJECT WOULD ALSO ENABLE THE GOVERNMENT TO IDENTIFY ANY PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES THAT MAY ARISE IN RUNNING SUCH A SCHEME.
THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT, WHICH WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE TRIAL SCHEME, WILL NEED AT LEAST 12 MONTHS TO PREPARE IT.
A STANDING COMMITTEE WILL BE SET UP TO MONITOR THE RUNNING OF THE PILOT SCHEME AND THEN TO PREPARE A REPORT ON ITS SUITABILITY.
SUCH A SCHEME WAS PROPOSED IN JUNE LAST YEAR IN A LAW REFORM COMMISSION REPORT.
SUCH A SCHEME PROVIDES THE COURTS WITH THE FACILITY TO ORDER OFFENDERS OVER THE AGE OF 14 WHO ARE CONVICTED OF OFFENCES PUNISHABLE WITH IMPRISONMENT TO PERFORM UNPAID WORK OF BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY EITHER IN THE PLACE OF, OR IN ADDITION TO, ANY OTHER SENTENCE.
+PEOPLE WHO HAVE COMMITTED MINOR IMPRISONABLE OFFENCES, PARTICULARLY THOSE INVOLVING SOME ELEMENT OF ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR SUCH AS CRIMINAL DAMAGE AND MINOR ASSAULTS, ARE THE MOST LIKELY CANDIDATES FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDERS, + THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
+A COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDER WILL ONLY BE MADE IN THE LIGHT OF A PROBATION OFFICER'S ASSESSMENT, AND PROPER COUNSELLING WILL SUBSEQUENTLY BE PROVIDED TO KEEP OFFENDERS AWAY FROM CRIME,+ HE ADDED.
THE SPOKESMAN STRESSED THAT PEOPLE CONVICTED OF SERIOUS OFFENCES WOULD NOT LIKELY TO BE SENTENCED TO COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDERS.
/THE MAIN