XN000022-1980-04-19 — Page 5

+

SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 1980

HK PRISON SERVICE LEADS THE WORLD

*****

ANOTHER GROUP OF PRISON OFFICER RECRUITS GRADUATED TODAY IN A PASSING-OUT PARADE AT THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT'S STAFF TRAINING

INSTITUTE IN STANLEY.

ON PARADE WERE 13 OFFICERS AND 75 ASSISTANT OFFICERS, INCLUDING FOUR WOMAN ASSISTANT OFFICERS.

THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL, MR J.C. GRIFFITHS, TOOK THE SALUTE AND PRESENTED GOLDEN WHISTLES TO THE BEST TWO, MR LEE SHING-TAK AND MR CHIU CHI-KEUNG.

ADDRESSING THE RECRUITS, MR GRIFFITHS TOLD THEM THAT THEY HAD JOINED A SERVICE WHICH LEADS THE WORLD IN MANY AREAS.

HE SAID HONG KONG'S SHORT SHARP SHOCK SYSTEM FOR YOUNG OFFENDERS TO FRIGHTEN THEM OUT OF COMMITTING CRIME WAS AT PRESENT BEING STUDIED BY OTHER COUNTRIES.

*THE FACT THAT IN 76 PER CENT OF CASES, THOSE DISCHARGED FROM THESE DETENTION CENTRES COMMITTED NO FURTHER CRIME DURING THE NEXT THREE YEARS SHOWS THE EFFICACY OF THE SYSTEM AND REFLECTS GREAT CREDIT ON ALL INVOLVED IN IT, HE ADDED.

MR GRIFFITHS POINTED OUT THAT PUNISHMENT OF CRIME WAS IMPORTANT BUT THERE WAS ANOTHER SIDE OF PRISON WORK THAT WAS PERHAPS EQUALLY IMPORTANT FOR SOCIETY. THIS WAS THE TRAINING OF PRISONERS IN NOT COMMITTING FURTHER CRIMES, SO THAT ON RELEASE THEY WOULD BE, AND WOULD REMAIN, USEFUL, LAW-ABIDING MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.

+THAT IS PERHAPS AS IMPORTANT AS THE POLICE CATCHING THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE,+ HE SAID.

HE NOTED THAT HONG KONG WAS INTRODUCING REFORMS AIMED AT PREVENTING CRIME BY HELPING AND ENCOURAGING DISCHARGED PRISONERS FROM COMMITTING OFFENCES.

FOR INSTANCE, HE SAID, MANDATORY AFTER-CARE FOR PEOPLE UNDER THE AGE OF 21 WHO WERE SENTENCED TO IMPRISONMENT WAS ABOUT TO BE INTRODUCED SO THAT ON THEIR RELEASE THEY COULD BE STEERED AWAY FROM CRIME.

+THE TRAINING OF PRISONERS WHILST SERVING THEIR SENTENCE SO THAT ON RELEASE THEY HAVE A SKILL AT THEIR COMMAND WITH WHICH THEY CAN EARN A LIVING TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES HAS BEEN A FEATURE OF THE PRISON SERVICE IN HONG KONG FOR A LONG TIME AND FULFILS THE SAME PURPOSE, MR GRIFFITHS SAID.

+ IT IS THIS SIDE OF YOUR WORK, AS MUCH AS THE EXPERTISE SHOWN BY THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT IN GUARDING YOUR CHARGES, THAT MAKES THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT IN HONG KONG LOOKED UP TO BY SIMILAR ORGANISATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, HE ADDED.

14