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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1986
MR JE AFFRE SON POINTED OUT THAT WHEN INMATES WERE ADMITTED TO CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS, THEY WERE ASKED WHETHER OR NOT THEY HAD TRIAD AFFILIATIONS. THEIR CLAIMS OR ADMISSIONS WERE USED IN DECIDING WHERE TO PUT THEM IN THE INSTITUTIONS.
+AS DIFFERENT PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE DIFFERENT REASONS FOR ADMITTING OR NOT ADMITTING TO HAVING TRIAD AFFILIATIONS IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, THE STATISTICS DERIVED FROM THEIR ANSWERS MUST BE VIEWED WITH A CERTAIN DEGREE OF CAUTION, HE ADDED.
ACCORDING TO A CENSUS CONDUCTED ON THE PENAL POPULATION AS A WHOLE TOWARDS THE END OF DECEMBER 1985, 777 INMATES UNDER THE AGE OF 21 CLAIMED TO HAVE TRIAD OR GANG AFFILIATIONS, SOME 65 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL POPULATION OF 1 202 YOUNG INMATES AT THAT TIME.
BUT FOR THE FIRST EIGHT MONTHS OF 1986, ONLY 51 PER CENT OF THE YOUNG OFFENDERS ADMITTED INTO CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS CLAIMED TO HAVE TRIAD OR GANG AFFILIATIONS.
MR JEAFFRESON SAID HE WAS REASONABLY CONFIDENT THAT THE FIGURES FOR 1986 WERE LIKELY TO BE LOWER THAN THOSE FOR 1984 AND 1985.
HE SAID THE SUCCESS OF THE DETENTION TRAINING CENTRE PROGRAMMES WERE REFLECTIONS OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE MEASURES.
FOR DETENTION CENTRES, WHERE ONE YEAR OF STATUTORY SUPERVISION WAS REQUIRED, THE SUCCESS RATE WAS 94 PER CENT - AFTER ONE YEAR.
FOR TRAINING CENTRES, WHERE THREE YEARS OF STATUTORY SUPERVISION WAS REQUIRED, THE SUCCESS RATE WAS 66 PER CENT - AFTER THREE YEARS.
+BUT, I MUST POINT OUT THAT WHETHER A YOUNG OFFENDER WHO HAS TRIAD OR GANG AFFILIATION WANTS TO SEVER SUCH LINKS MUST ULTIMATELY DEPEND ON HIS OWN DETERMINATION, ME JE AFFRE SON EMPHASISED.
+ AND THE ACCEPTANCE AND HELP OFFERED BY HIS FAMILY AND THE SOCIETY AT LARGE WILL CLEARLY HAVE A CRUCIAL BEARING ON HIS DECISION.+
HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS VERY CONCERNED WITH REHABILITATION AND A NUMBER OF SCHEMES WERE CURRENTLY BEING CONSIDERED TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION GENERALLY.
THESE INCLUDED A RELEASE UNDER SUPERVISION SCHEME, A PRE-RELEASE EMPLOYMENT SCHEME AND A PARTIALLY SUSPENDED SENTENCE SCHEME.
MR JE AFFRE SON ALSO NOTED THAT THE PUBLIC HAD WARMLY WELCOMED THE FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE'S SUGGESTION FOR A TRIAD RENOUNCIATION SCHEME AND DETAILS OF HOW THAT SCHEME WOULD WORK WERE CURRENTLY BEING PREPARED.
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