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TU
MARCH 10, 1985
+THIS INVOLVEMENT HAS PROVED TO BE HIGHLY SATISFYING TO BOTH THE VOLUNTEERS AND THE PROBATIONERS, SHE SAID.
COMMENTING ON CRITICISM OF THE SOCIAL WORK APPROACH TO THE TREATMENT OF OFFENDERS AS TOO SOFT AND LENIENT, MRS DOE SAID THERE WOULD PROBABLY NEVER BE A UNANIMITY OF VIEW ON THE MOST APPROPRIATE TREATMENT.
BUT SHE SAID THAT THE SOCIAL WORK APPROACH +IS BY NO MEANS A SOFT OPTION.+ +THE PROBATIONER, SHE SAID, IS STILL SUBJECT TO SUPERVISION AND AUTHORITY, HIS LIBERTY IS CURTAILED AND HE KNOWS THAT IF HE BREACHES HIS PROBATION ORDER, HE IS LIABLE TO MORE SEVERE PUNISHMENT.+
MRS DOE NOTED THAT STATISTICS OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS INDICATED THAT THE COURTS TENDED TO MAKE WIDER USE OF THE PROBATION SERVICE.
IN 1981/82, THE DEPARTMENT COMPLETED 8 310 SOCIAL ENQUIRY REPORTS ON OFFENDERS, THERE WERE 3 245 PROBATIONERS UNDER SUPERVISION AND 2 231 NEW PROBATION CASES. IN 1984/85, THESE FIGURES HAD INCREASED TO 8 788, 3 468 AND 2 681 RESPECTIVELY.
+THIS UPWARD TREND IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE, SHE SAID.
MRS DOE SAID THAT THE FIVE RESIDENTIAL TRAINING INSTITUTIONS RUN BY THE DEPARTMENT HAD COME UNDER INCREASING PRESSURE IN RECENT YEARS.
TO COPE WITH DEMAND, A NEW BOYS' HOME WAS BROUGHT INTO OPERATION LAST NOVEMBER FOR 60 PROBATIONERS UNDER 14.
+THIS PROVIDES MUCH NEEDED RELIEF, SHE SAID, +TO THE CONGESTED TRAINING SECTION OF OUR BEGONIA ROAD BOYS' HOME AND ALLOWS US TO SEPARATE YOUNGER BOYS FROM OLDER ONES FOR THE PURPOSE OF MORE EFFECTIVE TRAINING.
+OUR REMAND CAPACITY HAS PROVED TO BE PARTICULARLY INADEQUATE IN RECENT YEARS, SHE SAID. +MAKE-SHIFT ARRANGEMENTS ARE HARDLY SATISFACTORY.
TO PROVIDE IMMEDIATE RELIEF, THE DEPARTMENT WAS REPOSSESSING THE OLD MA TAU WEI GIRLS' HOME PREMISES TO OPERATE A TEMPORARY REMAND HOME FOR 36 GIRLS AND 24 BOYS.
+THIS IS EXPECTED TO BE OPERATIONAL BY OCTOBER THIS YEAR, + MRS DOE SAID.
IN THE LONGER TERM, THERE WERE PLANS TO BUILD ANOTHER GIRLS' HOME OF 120 PLACES IN TUEN MUN AND TO REPROVISION THE CASTLE PEAK BOYS' HOME AND BEGONIA ROAD BOYS' HOME IN TUEN MUN AND THE PLANNED JUNK BAY NEW TOWN RESPECTIVELY.
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