XN000022-1981-10-11 — Page 2

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1981

CENSUS OF PENAL POPULATION 1981

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THERE WERE 6 585 MALES AND 223 FEMALES IN THE CUSTODY OF THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT IN APRIL THIS YEAR, EXCLUDING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, OF WHOM 1 157 MALES AND 36 FEMALES WERE ON REMAND.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF PRISONS, MR THOMAS GARNER, WHEN HE REVEALED THE FINDINGS OF THE CENSUS OF THE PENAL POPULATION CONDUCTED AT THAT TIME.

OF THE CONVICTED PERSONS, 2 023 OR 37 PER CENT OF THE MALES AND 46 OR 25 PER CENT OF THE FEMALES HAD BEEN CONVICTED OF A VIOLENT OFFENCE, SUCH AS MURDER, MANSLAUGHTER, RAPE, WOUNDING, SERIOUS ASSAULT, KIDNAPPING, ROBBERY, ARSON AND CRIMINAL DAMAGE.

MORE THAN HALF OF THESE VIOLENT OFFENDERS HAD SUBSEQUENTLY BREACHED PRISONS DISCIPLINE AT LEAST ONCE, AND SOME MORE THAN 10 TIMES, WHILST ONLY 20 PER CENT OF NON-VIOLENT OFFENDERS HAD BEEN GUILTY OF SIMILAR MISCONDUCT.

MR GARNER SAID THE CENSUS WAS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION FOR RESEARCH, PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT PURPOSES AS WELL AS THE ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES.

FINDINGS OF THE CENSUS SHOWED THAT THE NUMBER OF YOUNG MALE OFFENDERS HAD INCREASED. 850 PERSONS OR 16 PER CENT OF THE CONVICTED MALE POPULATION WERE UNDER 21 YEARS OF AGE COMPARED WITH 687 OR 13 PER CENT IN A CENSUS TAKEN IN SEPTEMBER 1980.

AS FOR REMANDS. THE PERCENTAGE WAS EVEN HIGHER WITH 240 PERSONS OR 21 PER CENT UNDER 21 YEARS OF AGE. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS, THE MEAN AGE OF THE PENAL POPULATION REMAINED AT 30.

YOUNG ADULTS AGED 25 TO 29 CONSTITUTED THE PREDOMINANT AGE GROUP AMONGST MALES WITH A TOTAL OF 1 306 PERSONS OR 24 PER CENT, WHILST GIRLS AGED 16 TO 20 WERE THE PREDOMINANT AGE GROUP AMONGST THE FEMALES NUMBER ING 52 PERSONS OR 28 PER CENT.

ANOTHER INTERESTING OBSERVATION WAS THAT FROM THE TOTAL NUMBER OF MALE REMANDS IN CUSTODY, 292 PERSONS OR 25 PER CENT HAD RESIDED IN HONG KONG FOR LESS THAN SIX YEARS AT THE TIME OF ADMISSION. A COMPARABLE FIGURE FOR CONVICTED MALE PERSONS WAS 591 OR 11 PER CENT. 3 962 CONVICTED INMATES WERE IN SECURITY PRISONS WHILE 283 WERE IN DETENTION CENTRES, 423 IN TRAINING CENTRES AND 947 IN DRUG ADDICTION TREATMENT CENTRES.

/DIOSE IN