XN000022-1983-10-28 — Page 7

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1983

PRISONERS NEED VISITORS GARNER

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PRISONERS WITH NO RELATIVES OR FRIENDS TO VISIT THEM HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME IN PRISON, THE COMMISSIONER OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES, MR THOMAS GARNER SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

PRISONERS NEED FRIENDLY CONTACT FROM OUTSIDE THE PRISON AS SUCH ASSOCIATION KEEPS THEM IN TOUCH WITH THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS DEMONSTRATES SOCIETY'S INTEREST IN HELPING THEM BECOME BETTER PERSONS, MR GARNER SAID.

+NOT EVERYONE WILL AGREE WITH THIS PHILOSOPHY BUT FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE PROFESSIONALS IN THE FIELD OF CORRECTIONS WE KNOW IT TO BE IMPORTANT,+ HE ADDED.

MR GARNER, WHO IS ALSO PRESIDENT OF THE PRISONERS FRIENDS' ASSOCIATION, WAS ADDRESSING THE ASSOCIATION'S ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING HELD AT THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT'S HEADQUARTERS IN WAN CHAI.

BY MEETING VISITORS FROM OUTSIDE, A PRISONER WILL SERVE HIS SENTENCE WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE OUTSIDE WHO CARE FOR HIM AND HIS FUTURE, HE SAID.

GARNER ALSO PAID TRIBUTE TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ASSOCIATION, MR MICHAEL TAYLOR FOR HIS CONTRIBUTION TO THE ASSOCIATION OVER THE PAST YEARS.

MR TAYLOR WILL BE RETURNING TO THE UNITED KINGDOM AFTER MORE THAN 16 YEARS IN HONG KONG.

DURING THE MEETING, MR TAYLOR COMMENDED THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT FOR ITS SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE TO THE ASSOCIATION AND EXPRESSED HIS GRATITUDE PARTICULARLY TO HR GARNER.

+IT WAS BECAUSE OF HIS STRONG ENCOURAGEMENT THAT WE CAME TO EXIST AS A GROUP IN THE FIRST PLACE, HE SAID.

THE ASSOCIATION, FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE

VISITORS, WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1980.

ASSOCIATION OF PRISON

ITS OBJECTIVE IS TO MAINTAIN CONTACT BETWEEN PRISONERS AND THE WORLD OUTSIDE. MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION PAY REGULAR VISITS TO PRISONERS WHO ARE IN NEED OF FRIENDSHIP, THEREBY HELPING THEM ADJUST IN PRISON AND LATER TO NORMAL LIFE IN SOCIETY AFTER DISCHARGE.

MR TAYLOR APPEALED PARTICULARLY TO MATURE CANTONESE-SPEAKING

MEN OVER 21 YEARS OF AGE TO JOIN THE ASSOCIATION.

APPLICANTS MAY WRITE TO THE ASSOCIATION C/O GUARDIAN HOUSE 11TH FLOOR, 32 01 KWAN ROAD, HONG KONG.

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