XN000022-1981-05-30 — Page 5

SATURDAY, MAY 30, 1981

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HE ALSO NOTED THAT A GOOD PRISON OFFICER MUST ALSO MAINTAIN HIGH STANDARDS OF PHYSICAL FITNESS, A MENTAL DISCIPLINE AND SELF-CONTROL AND MUCH STRENGTH OF CHARACTER.

J

SIR DENYS INSPECTED THE PARADE, TOOK THE SALUTE AND PRESENTED GOLDEN WHISTLES TO THE TWO BEST ALL-ROUND RECRUITS, MISS KWONG CHAU-LING AND MR TO CHI-HUNG, BOTH ASSISTANT OFFICERS.

THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF SIR DENYS' SPEECH :

+SINCE I CAME TO HONG KONG IN 1962, I HAVE OCCUPIED VARIOUS POSTS WHICH BROUGHT ME REGULARLY INTO CONTACT WITH MEMBERS OF THE PRISON SERVICE.

+HAVING HAD MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO OBSERVE THEM AT WORK, I HAVE DEVELOPED A DEEP ADMIRATION FOR THE PROFESSIONAL ISM, DEVOTION TO DUTY AND SENSE OF HUMANITY OF THE SERVICE WHICH THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE PASSING-OUT TODAY HAVE RECENTLY JOINED.

+ IT FALLS UPON THE PRISON SERVICE TO DEAL, ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY, WITH THOSE WHO HAVE COME INTO CONFLICT WITH THE LAWS WHICH SOCIETY HAS MADE FOR THE COMMON GOOD AND FOR THE REGULATION OF ITS CITIZENS.

+ INEVITABLY, SUCH A GROUP CONTAINS MANY WHO ARE NOT EASY TO CONTROL. SOME OF THEM WILL BE EMBITTERED BY WHAT THEY REGARD AS THE INJUSTICE OF THE IR TREATMENT. OTHERE WILL BE DEEPLY DEPRESSED BY THE SHOCK OF BEING LOCKED AWAY FROM NORMAL LIFE FOR SUBSTANTIAL PERIODS. MANY WILL BE RESENTFUL AND HOSTILE TOWARDS YOU AS THE SYMBOL OF THE SOCIETY WITH WHICH THEY HAVE CLASHED. AT BEST, THE MAJORITY OF PRISONERS WILL BE UNEASY AT BEING FORCED INTO AN ENVIRONMENT WHICH IS STRANGE, AND INTO A PATTERN OF LIFE IN WHICH THEY HAVE CEASED TO BE MASTERS OF THEIR OWN AFFAIRS AND HAVE BECOME SUBJECT TO THE ORDERS OF STRANGERS.

THIS

+TO CONTROL PRISONERS REQUIRES A VARIETY OF ATTRIBUTES, PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT OF WHICH IS INTEGRITY. BY WHICH I MEAN COMPLETE IMPARTIALITY BETWEEN PRISONERS.

IS NOT EASY SINCE, IN OUR PRIVATE LIVES, WE FREQUENTLY PERMIT A PREFERENCE FOR ONE PERSON OVER ANOTHER TO INFLUENCE OUR CONDUCT. IN A PRISON SERVICE THIS HAS TO BE AVOIDED.

+ANOTHER CHARACTERISTIC OF THE GOOD PRISON OFFICER IS INEXHAUSTIBLE PATIENCE, SINCE YOU MUST DEAL WITH A WIDE ASSORTMENT OF MEN, SOME QUICK IN THOUGHT AND ACTION, SOME STUPID AND SLOW, SOME PHYSICALLY STRONG AND SOME WEAK, SOME EAGER AND CO-OPERATIVE AND OTHERS HOSTILE AND OBSTINATE.

+YOU MUST ALSO HAVE CHARITY, WHICH REQUIRES AN ACCEPTANCE THAT YOUR CHARGES, ALTHOUGH THEY ARE IMPRISONED BECAUSE THEY HAVE OFFENDED SOCIETY, AND WHATEVER THEIR FAULTS MAY BE, REMAIN INDIVIDUAL MEN AND WOMEN, ENTITLED TO A MEASURE OF HUMAN DIGNITY AND TO SUCH CONSIDERATION AS IS PERMISSIBLE WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE DISCIPLINARY STRUCTURE WHICH YOU MUST

IMPOSE UPON THEM.

/+THESE ARE