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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1984,
THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN HONGKONG HAD BEEN VERY CONCERNED IN RECENT YEARS ABOUT THE LENIENCY IN WHICH THE COURTS DEALT WITH OFFENDERS, HE SAID.
COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDERS COULD BE VIEWED AS YET ANOTHER LENIENT WAY OF DEALING WITH OFFENDERS.
THEREFORE, GOVERNMENT SHOULD ENDEAVOUR TO MAKE THE PUBLIC MORE AWARE OF THE COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDER SCHEME, INCLUDING THE OBJECTIVES AND THE DETAILS OF ITS OPERATION THROUGH PUBLICITY AND VARIOUS CHANNELS, MR HU SAID.
THE HON MARIA TAM SAID MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC APPRECIATED AND ACCEPTED THE REHABILITATIVE VALUE AND THE ADVANTAGE OF HAVING A COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDERS SCHEME.
SHE POINTED OUT THAT PEOPLE'S INITIAL CONCERN WAS WHETHER IT WOULD BE SAFE TO RELEASE AN OFFENDER WHO WOULD HAVE BEEN PUNISHED BY IMPRISONMENT TO WORK IN THE COMMUNITY; AND WHETHER WE WERE BEING TOO LENIENT TO SUCH AN OFFENDER.
+HOWEVER, AFTER A LONG PERIOD OF CONSULTATIONS, THROUGH DISTRIBUTING QUESTIONNAIRES TO AND HOLDING SEMINARS AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS WITH SUBVENTED SOCIAL AGENCIES, GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS WHICH WERE LIKELY TO BE IN THE POSITION TO OFFER PLACEMENTS FOR AN OFFENDER, AND DISTRICT BOARDS AND RUNNING PHONE IN PROGRAMMES ON THE RADIO, ETC. THE PUBLIC RESPONSE TO HAVING SUCH A SCHEME IN HONG KONG PROVED GENERALLY FAVOURABLE,+ SHE SAID.
MISS TAM ACCEPTED THAT IN THIS BILL IT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE TO WRITE INTO THE LAW HOW A MAGISTRATE OR JUDGE SHOULD EXERCISE HIS DISCRETION.
+WE RELY ON THE GOOD SENSE OF THE PROBATION OFFICER TO RECOMMEND A SUITABLE PERSON FOR SUCH A SENTENCE AND THE SOUND JUDGMENT OF THE COURT TO ACCEPT OR REJECT SUCH A RECOMMENDATION, + SHE SAID.
ON THE COST EFFECTIVENESS OF SUCH A SCHEME, MISS TAM WAS TOTALLY CONVINCED THAT IT WAS A WORTHWHILE PROJECT.
+ THE EXPERIENCE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND AND IN THE DIFFERENT STATES OF AUSTRALIA PROVES THAT IT ACTUALLY COSTS MORE TO KEEP AN OFFENDER IN PRISON THAN TO PLACE HIM UNDER A COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDER, SHE SAID.
ALSO THE COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDERS WOULD ENABLE AN OFFENDER TO CONTINUE WITH HIS WORK OR STUDY UNINTERRUPTED AND THE ECONOMIC VALUE IN THIS RESPECT MUST BE SIGNIFICANT, SHE SAID.
+ HOPE ALSO THAT THROUGH OUR PILOT SCHEME WE CAN GAIN AN INSIGHT TO THIS PARTICULAR AREA OF ASSESSMENT, SHE SAID,
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