XN000022-1984-03-23 — Page 11

FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 1984

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AFTER-CARE FOR YOUNG OFFENDERS NECESSARY GARNER

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MANDATORY AFTER-CARE, FOR THE YOUNG OFFENDERS IN PARTICULAR, IS ESSENTIAL IN THE CORRECTIONAL PROCESS, THE COMMISSIONER OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES, MR THOMAS GARNER, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

MR GARNER SAID THE LEGISLATION WAS AMENDED IN 1980 TO MAKE IT MANDATORY FOR ALL YOUNG PERSONS UNDER 21 WHO ARE SENTENCED TO IMPRISONMENT FOR THREE MONTHS OR MORE, TO BE SUBJECT TO 12 MONTHS' AFTER-CARE ON DISCHARGE.

SINCE THEN 451 YOUNG OFFENDERS HAVE BEEN DISCHARGED, AND 85 PER CENT OF THEM HAVE COMPLETED THE 12-MONTH SUPERVISION PERIOD WITHOUT RELAPSING TO CRIME, HE SAID.

HE DESCRIBED THE RESULT AS +MOST SATISFACTORY+ AND +FULLY JUSTIFYING THE IMPORTANCE OF MANDATORY AFTER-CARE.

MR GARNER ALSO SAID THAT SOME 500 YOUNG OFFENDERS RELEASED FROM TRAINING AND DETENTION CENTRES HAD USED THE PHOENIX HOUSE, A NEW HALF-WAY HOUSE FACILITY OPENED ONLY IN JULY LAST. IT WAS A LARGE NUMBER FOR SUCH A SHORT TIME, HE SAID.

MR GARNER ALSO SPOKE ABOUT THE REORGANISATION OF THE HEADQUARTERS STRUCTURE, AND SAID THAT FROM APRIL, THE OPERATIONAL SIDE WOULD BE SPLIT INTO TWO SECTIONS. ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR ADULT OFFENDERS AND THE OTHER FOR YOUNG OFFENDERS.

LAST YEAR, HE SAID, THERE WERE 7 269 CASES OF BREACHES OF DISCIPLINE BY PRISONERS, AN INCREASE OF 3.9 PER CENT OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

+DISCIPLINE MUST BE MAINTAINED TO A VERY HIGH STANDARD WITHIN PENAL INSTITUTIONS, IN LINE WITH THE AIMS OF GOOD CORRECTIONAL WORK, + MR GARNER STRESSED.

+FOR EXAMPLE, THE USE OF FOUL LANGUAGE IS NOT TOLERATED, + HE SAID. A TOTAL OF 961 PRISONERS HAD BEEN FOUND GUILTY OF THE OFFENCE OF 'SWEARING, CURSING OR USING ANY ABUSIVE, INSOLENT, THREATENING OR OTHER IMPROPER LANGUAGE' LAST YEAR, HE SAID.

AS A RESULT OF THESE CONTROLS THERE HAS BEEN IN RECENT YEARS A MORE COURTEOUS AND POLITE ATMOSPHERE WITHIN PENAL INSTITUTIONS, HE SAID.

MR GARNER ALSO SAID THAT THE DAILY AVERAGE PENAL POPULATION ROSE BY 7.7 PER CENT LAST YEAR, AND THAT THE NUMBER OF PRISONERS SERVING A SENTENCE OF LIFE IMPRISONMENT HAD GONE UP TO 92.

HE SAID THAT SHEK PIK PRISON, WHICH IS BEING PREPARED FOR FULL OPERATIONAL USE AT THE END OF APRIL, HAS SPECIAL FACILITIES FOR PRISONERS SERVING LONG SENTENCES OR LIFE IMPRISONMENT.

WITH REGARD TO CIVIL DEBTORS, HE POINTED OUT THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MANY YEARS NO ONE WAS AT PRESENT BEING DETAINED IN CUSTODY FOR DEBTS, IN SHARP CONTRAST TO THE RECORD NUMBER OF 430 PERSONS ADMITTED LAST YEAR.

/MR GARNER