XN000022-1976-08-24 — Page 5

TUESDAY, AUGUST 24, 1976.

DETENTION CENTRES A GREAT SUCCESS

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DETENTION CENTRES ARE PLAYING A VERY IMPORTANT AND SUCCESSFUL ROLE IN THE REHABILITATION OF YOUNG CRIMINALS IN HONG KONG, THE ACTING COMMISSIONER OF PRISONS, MR. TOM ECOB, SAID TONIGHT (TUESDAY).

SPEAKING AT A DINNER OF THE WEST KOWLOON LIONS CLUB, MR. ECOB RECALLED THAT DETENTION CENTRES WERE FIRST MOOTED BY A FORMER CHIEF JUSTICE AT THE OPENING OF THE AZZISES IN 1970.

AFTER MUCH DISCUSSION, THESE CENTRES WERE EVENTUALLY ESTABLISHED IN HONG KONG IN 1972. THE AIMS ARE TO INDUCE IN YOUNG OFFEN ERS A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY AS CITIZENS, A SENSE OF PRIDE IN THEMSELVES, AN AWARENESS OF THEIR NEGLECTED ABILITIES AND TO TEACH THEM HOW TO LIVE WITH PEOPLE AND RESPECT THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS.

THESE AIMS, MR. ECOB POINTED OUT, WERE TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM THOSE IN OTHER INSTITUTIONS FOR YOUNG OFFENDERS WHERE VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND EDUCATION WERE THE GUIDELINES TO REHABILITATION.

HE EXPLAINED: +THE EMPHASIS WITHIN A DETENTION CENTRE IS ON HARD WORK, FIRM AND STRICT DISCIPLINE. LIFE IS HARD, UNPLEASANT AND UNCOMFORTABLE. THESE ARE THREE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS, BUT IN NO WAY CAN THE SYSTEM BE CLASSIFIED AS NOT HUMANE AND ́EACH DETAINEE ONLY HAS DEMANDS MADE UPON HIM THAT IS WITHIN THE LIMITS OF HIS ABILITY TO COPE.+

+QUITE NATURALLY, HE ADDED, +NOT ALL YOUNG OFFENDERS ARE SUITABLE FOR SUCH A SYSTEM AND A CAREFUL SELECTION IS VERY NECESSARY BEFORE AN OFFENDER IS ACCEPTED FOR SUCH TREATMENT.

+IN GENERAL, THE AIM IS TO SELECT AGGRESSIVE AND VIOLENT YOUNG OFFENDERS WITH A SHORT HISTORY OF CRIMINAL INVOLVEMENT. +

AS THE PROGRAMME OF A DETENTION CENTRE WAS PRIMARILY DETERRENT IN NATURE, MR, ECOB STRESSED THAT NO SLACKNESS WAS TOLERATED AND THAT A DETAINEE COULD BE AWARDED UP TO 12 STROKES OF THE LIGHT CANE IF HE WAS FOUND GUILTY OF BREACHING DISCIPLINE BY AN ADJUDICATING OFFICER.

YOUTH.

CANING, HE ADDED, WAS AN EFFECTIVE DETERRENT TO A WAYWARD

COMMENTING ON THE SUCCESS RATE OF THE DETENTION CENTRES, MR. ECOB SAID THAT AVAILABLE STATISTICS SHOWED THAT SO FAR ONLY 15.2 PER CENT OF THOSE WHO WERE SENTENCED TO A DETENTION CENTRE AND HAVING COMPLETED THEIR SUPERVISION PERIOD, HAD BEEN RE-CONVICTED.

THIS IN ITSELF IS A CLEAN INDICATION OF THE SUCCESS THAT THIS DETENTION CENTRE PROGRAMME IS HAVING ON THE YOUNG CRIMINALS OF TODAY, HE ADDED.

MR. ECOB URGED EMPLOYERS AND BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS TO EMPLOY FORMER DETAINEES. IN DOING SO, HE ADDED, THEY WOULD GREATLY ASSIST IN THE IR REHABILITATION.

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