XN000022-1973-01-26 — Page 3

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Friday, January 26, 1973

To provide for this, he said, a 12-month training course had been

initiated for new recruits last year in the Staff Training Institute.

"During training we try for as many all-rounders as possible,"

he said.

The present daily population of prisoners and inmates in the institutions administered by the Prisons Department, he said, was

a little over 6,100.

Of these, 1,581 were being followed up in the department's

after-care programme.

Mr. Garner described crime as "a sickness of society and stressed that the public had a great role to play in helping to find a cure. "The community has to play an important part which cannot be delegated to the Government, " he said. "The community can actively

work in the field of crime prevention."

standards.

He said there was a need for a close examination of community

This need was underscored by the amount of crime stemming from dishonesty, protection rackets, gambling, drug addiction, greed, selfishness and an inability to control one's temper.

The problem which caused the most concern in Hong Kong today,

he said, was that of dealing with offenders in the 16 to 25 age group "in which it appears that the peak incidence of crime, particularly crimes

of violence, occurs."

The Commissioner said the community could also take a greater interest in the welfare of prisoners by supporting the Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society and the Prisoners' Welfare Fund managed by the Prison Service.

The news media too, he added, could consider giving equal value to the prevention of crime and reformation of offenders as they gave to the

reporting of crime.

13.