XN000022-1980-02-25 — Page 5

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1980

+IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD, THE ORDINARY MAN AND WOMAN BELIEVE THAT CERTAIN KINDS OF CRIME ARE WICKED AND INEXCUSABLE, AND THAT WICKEDNESS MUST BE TREATED WITH HARSHNESS. HE REGARDS CONSIDERATION FOR THE OFFENDER AS WEAKNESS AND AS AN AFFRONT TO THE VICTIM, HE SAID.

+THIS MEANS THAT THE PRISON OFFICER IN THE EAST WILL OFTEN FIND HIMSELF PURSUING POLICIES WHICH ARE AT ODDS WITH PUBLIC OPINION. HE WILL BE ACCUSED OF PAMPERING THE EVIL AND OF PROVIDING STANDARDS OF FOOD, CLOTHING, ACCOMMODATION AND HEALTH WHICH MANY HONEST MEN CANNOT ATTAIN BY LAWFUL MEANS. AND THIS IS A DANGER, OF WHICH PRISON ADMINISTRATIONS ARE WELL AWARE AND WHICH THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO IGNORE, HE ADDED.

THE COMMISSIONER OF PRISONS, MR T.G. GARNER, IN HIS WELCOMING ADDRESS AT THE CEREMONY, EXTENDED A VERY WARM AND HEARTY WELCOME TO ALL THE DELEGATES,

HE SAID, +TO HAVE THE MOST SENIOR ADMINISTRATORS IN CHARGE OF PRISONS AND OTHER CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS FROM 14 COUNTRIES COME TOGETHER TO DISCUSS VARIOUS MATTERS RELATING TO PRISON ADMINISTRATION AND THE MANY OTHER AREAS OF OUR WORK IS INDEED A VERY HEALTHY SIGN,+

HE ADDED THAT THEIR SUPPORT ENSURED A GOOD FOUNDATION ON WHICH TO BUILD FOR A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME OF THE CONFERENCE - THE VERY FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD- AND HE HOPED THAT IT WOULD LEAD TO MORE FREQUENT MEETINGS AT DIFFERENT LEVELS EMBRACING SUBJECTS OF SPECIFIC INTEREST IN THE FUTURE.

MR GARNER ALSO EXPRESSED HIS WARMEST THANKS TO MR WILLIAM CLIFFORD, DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF CRIMINOLOGY, AND MEMBERS OF HIS STAFF FOR THE SUPERB WAY IN WHICH THEY HAD PUT THIS CONFERENCE TOGETHER.

HE RECALLED THAT IT WAS SOME CONSIDERABLE TIME SINCE MR CLIFFORD AND HE GOT TOGETHER AND TALKED ABOUT THE NEED FOR IDEAS AND OPINIONS FROM THIS PART OF THE WORLD IN THE FIELD OF CORRECTIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND THEY BOTH AGREED THAT THERE WAS A NEED TO HAVE SOME SORT OF GET-TOGETHER ALONG THE SAME LINES WHICH PREVAILED IN OTHER AREAS OF THE WORLD,

+WE ALSO AGREED THAT ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WHY IDEAS AND OPINIONS WERE NOT READILY IDENTIFIABLE FROM THE ASIAN AND PACIFIC REGION WAS BECAUSE EXCEPT AT UNITED NATIONS LEVEL WE DID NOT HAVE REGULAR MEETINGS, MOST CERTAINLY NOT AT A WORKING LEVEL DURING WHICK WE COULD EXCHANGE IDEAS, EXPERIENCES AND DISCUSS OTHER MATTERS OF MUTUAL INTEREST, PARTICULARLY PROBLEMS WHICH ARE COMMON TO MOST OF US IF NOT ALL, + MR GARNER SAID.

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