THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1986
17
PRISON VISITORS PLAY VALUABLE ROLE
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PRISON VISITORS ARE PLAYING AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN HELPING PRISONERS WHO HAVE NO FRIENDS OR RELATIVES OR WHO HAVE BEEN ABANDONED BY THEIR FAMILIES, ACCORDING TO THE COMMISSIONER OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES, MR CHAN WA-SHEK.
SPEAKING IN HIS CAPACITY AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE PRISONERS' FRIENDS' ASSOCIATION (PFA) AT ITS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AT THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT'S HEADQUARTERS, MR CHAN DESCRIBED THE SERVICE OF THE PFA AS VALUABLE.
+ONE NEEDN'T BE IN THE CORRECTIONAL FIELD TO APPRECIATE PRISONERS' NEED FOR A FRIENDLY CONTACT OUTSIDE THE WALLS,+ HE SAID.
+VISITS FROM MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION NOT ONLY KEEP THE PRISONERS IN TOUCH WITH THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO DEMONSTRATE THE INTEREST OF PEOPLE OUTSIDE WHO ARE WILLING TO HELP IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAY.
+APART FROM ASSISTING THE PRISONERS TO SETTLE DOWN AND FACE THE REALITY OF THE SENTENCE, THE VISITS CARRY TO THEM THE MESSAGE THAT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN TOTALLY REJECTED BY THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.+
THE PFA WAS FOUNDED IN 1980, WITH THE AIM OF PROVIDING A LINK WITH PRISONERS, AND FRIENDSHIP FOR THEM, SO THAT THEY WOULD FEEL THAT THERE IS CONCERN FOR THEIR WELFARE, AND THE IR VIEWS WOULD NOT BECOME DISTORTED. THE ASSOCIATION HAS ABOUT 20 MEMBERS, WHO VISIT CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS FREQUENTLY.
+ALTHOUGH THE ASSOCIATION IS STILL NUMERICALLY SMALL, THE MEMBERS ARE ENTHUSIASTIC,+ MR CHAN SAID. SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE BY THE PFA IN THE PAST YEARS, HE ADDED.
FESTIVAL FOR CENTRAL, WESTERN RESIDENTS ON AGAIN
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THE SECOND CENTRAL AND WESTERN DISTRICT FESTIVAL, FEATURING THREE WEEKS OF RECREATIONAL, CULTURAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMMES, WILL BE HELD FROM WEDNESDAY (NOVEMBER 5).
DETAILS OF THE FESTIVAL WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT A PRESS CONFERENCE TO BE HELD AT 2.30 PM TOMORROW (FRIDAY) AT THE CONFERENCE ROOM OF CENTRAL AND WESTERN DISTRICT OFFICE ON THE 11TH FLOOR OF HARBOUR BUILDING, 38 PIER ROAD, CENTRAL.
THE CHAIRMAN