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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1984
+ IT IS THEREFORE IMPORTANT THAT THE WORK TO BE DONE UNDER A COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDER SHOULD BE DIGNIFIED AND EDUCATIONAL, AND NOT USELESS OR MENIAL,+ HE ADDED.
DR HO STRESSED THAT UNDERSTANDING AND COOPERATION OF THE SERVICE AGENCIES AND GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS WERE ESSENTIAL TO CREATE A WIDE VARIETY OF MEANINGFUL, REFORM-ORIENTED TASKS FOR THE OFFENDERS.
PROPER AND REGULAR COUNSELLING AND GUIDANCE WAS ALSO ESSENTIAL, HE SAID.
+HOWEVER IN CERTAIN SERVICE AGENCIES OR GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, THE SUPERVISING STAFF DO NOT HAVE THE PROFESSIONAL SKILL AND TRAINING TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY COUNSELLING.
+UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, THE PROBATION OFFICER WHO ASSUMES THE OVERALL ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES OVER A COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDER SCHEME WILL ALSO BE COUNTED UPON TO UNDERTAKE COUNSELLING AND GUIDANCE, HE SAID.
HENCE, IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT GOVERNMENT WOULD PROVIDE THE NECESSARY RESOURCES AND MANPOWER TO THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT SO THAT IT WOULD HAVE AN ADEQUATE NUMBER OF PROBATION OFFICERS TO ADMINISTER THE SCHEME, DR HO ADDED.
+ IN SUMMARY THE PROBATION OFFICERS ARE OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE TO THE SCHEME BECAUSE THEY ARE INSTRUMENTAL TO THE ACHIEVEMENT OF REHABILITATING THE OFFENDERS BY MEANS OF CREATING A VARIED ASSORTMENT OF EDUCATION-ORIENTED TASKS AND PROVIDING SKILLED COUNSELLING AND GUIDANCE, HE SAID.
THE HON F.K. HU SAID A PILOT SCHEME WAS A LOGICAL SOLUTION.
THE COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDER SCHEME HAD BEEN OPERATING SUCCESSFULLY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM WHERE IT HAD BEEN INTRODUCED
IN SIX AREAS AS AN EXPERIMENT IN 1972 BEFORE BEING EXTENDED TO THE WHOLE TERRITORY IN 1975.
+AS HONG KONG HAS A DIFFERENT SOCIAL AND CULTURAL BACKGROUND, IT IS ADVISABLE FOR US TO LEARN FROM OUR OWN EXPERIENCE BEFORE DECIDING WHETHER TO EXTEND THE SCHEME OR TO BRING THE SCHEME TO AN END, + MR HU SAID.
HE SAID IT WAS DESIRABLE FOR THE PILOT SCHEME TO HAVE AS WIDE A SPREAD AS POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY WHICH COULD BE PROVIDED BY ONE MAGISTRACY ON HONG KONG ISLAND, ONE IN KOWLOON AND ONE IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.
ON THE BASIS OF STATISTICS OF TYPES OF OFFENCES DEALT WITH IN DIFFERENT MAGISTRACIES, IT SEEMED THAT THE MAGISTRACIES IN CAUSEWAY BAY FOR HONG KONG ISLAND, SAN PO KONG OR SOUTH KOWLOON FOR KOWLOON PENINSULA AND TSUEN WAN FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES WOULD BE APPROPRIATE, MR HU SAID.
THE GENERAL