XN000022-1974-03-20 — Page 3

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Wednesday, March 20, 1974

Miss Wong puts in a word of caution when using the findings from

She says that the materials that can be obtained are

thece discussions.

thone that the prisoners are willing and able to report.

"Reports about one's criminal behaviour necessarily requiro self-

diapopis which is often embarrassing, humiliating or degrading," she says.

Objectivity is lost when one's report tends, self-consciously and

defensively, to show one in a favourable light.

Useful as they are for the study of the criminal mind, lios Wong

says, the present findings show at best the idiosyncratic experiences of inmates

in different penal institutions, their perception of reality and their self-

conconts.

she adds

"All these may bear little relevance to the social causes of crime,"

More than 450 prisoners took part in these group discussions in

the Prisons Department's 13 penal institutions. Most of the participents were

youn offenders under 25.

The discussions were conducted by the department's after care officers.

Miss Wong says: "Group counselling is a regular feature of after

care cervices for the inmates. We brought out this particular subject for

discussion during these sessions so that they could express their views freely

on basis of their experiences."

Croup discussions provided the right atmosphere for prisoners to gain

an insight into what they have done in the past, Miss Wong sayo.

"With a group of 'people like ourselves', tiey can speak their minds

out without inhibitions.*

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13.