SATURDAY, MAY 23, 1987
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EXPERT TALKS ON DEFENCE AND PUBLIC ORDER
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FOLLOWING THE EXCHANGE OF VIEWS AT THE SIXTH MEETING OF THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT LIAISON GROUP, AN EXPERT MEETING ON DEFENCE AND PUBLIC ORDER WILL BE HELD BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND CHINESE SIDES ON MAY 27 - 28 IN LONDON.
THE BRITISH SIDE WILL BE LED BY MR CHRISTOPHER HIM, HEAD OF THE HONG KONG DEPARTMENT AT THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE, WHO WILL BE ASSISTED BY OTHER EXPERTS FROM THE HONG KONG AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS.
POSITIVE APPROACH OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES COMMENDED
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THE DEPUTY CHIEF SECRETARY, MR JOHN CHAN, TODAY (SATURDAY) PRAISED THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT FOR ADOPTING A POSITIVE APPROACH IN ITS REHABILITATION PROGRAMMES WHICH HAVE ENABLED Å LARGE PERCENTAGE OF PRISONERS TO RE-INTEGRATE SUCCESSFULLY INTO THE SOCIETY.
SPEAKING AT THE DEPARTMENT'S PASSING-OUT PARADE AT THE STAFF TRAINING INSTITUTE AT STANLEY, MR CHAN DESCRIBED THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT'S ACHIEVEMENT, ESPECIALLY THE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF TREATMENT PROGRAMMES FOR PRISONERS, IN THE PAST SEVEN YEARS AS +REMARKABLE+.
HE SAID THE DEPARTMENT HAS FULFILLED ITS ROLE IN REFORMING AND REHABILITATING PRISONERS RATHER THAN JUST PUNISHING THEM. +THIS IS A MUCH MORE COMPLEX AND DIFFICULT TASK THAN SIMPLY LOCKING THEM AWAY, HE SAID, IT IS ALSO FAR MORE POSITIVE.+
THE DEPARTMENT, MR CHAN SAID, HAS DEVISED DIFFERENT TYPES OF CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMMES TO SUIT DIFFERENT TYPES OF PRISONERS, AND TO HELP THEM WITH THEIR EDUCATION, GIVE THEM VOCATIONAL TRAINING, GUIDE THEM TO LIVE POSITIVELY AND WORK CONSTRUCTIVELY, SO THAT THEY WILL RETURN AS USEFUL MEMBERS TO THE COMMUNITY,
+ IT REQUIRES SCIENCE IN THE DESIGN OF SUCH PROGRAMMES AND HUMANITY IN THEIR APPLICATION,+ HE SAID,
*THE RECIDIVISM RATE OF FORMER INMATES OF THE DEPARTMENT'S INSTITUTIONS IS VERY LOW BY WORLD STANDARDS, THE DEPUTY CHIEF SECRETARY SAID. +THIS HAS MADE THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT IN HONG KONG MUCH RESPECTED AND ADMIRED BY PENAL ADMINISTRATORS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, HE ADDED.
/H. TRAISED