XN000022-1984-12-21 — Page 17

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1984

16

SERVICE QUALITY IMPROVED

****

THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT HAD INCREASED THE RANGE OF TREATMENT PROGRAMMES AND SENTENCING OPTIONS AND HAD THEREBY IMPROVED THE QUALITY OF SERVICE IN THE LAST 26 YEARS, ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER, MR BARRY HIGGINBOTTOM, SAID TODAY.

WHEN HE JOINED IN 1958, THE THEN PRISONS DEPARTMENT OPERATED SIX INSTITUTIONS, ACCOMMODATING 3 700, HE SAID.

+TODAY THERE ARE 27 INSTITUTIONS HOUSING 13 800 PERSONS INCLUDING VIETNAMESE REFUGEES DETAINED IN CLOSED CENTRES, HE SAID.

HE RECALLED ALSO THAT THERE WERE 671 STAFF, WITH 11 POSTS OF CHIEF OFFICER AND ABOVE RANK, COMPARED WITH THE PRESENT ESTABLISHMENT OF 6 431, INCLUDING 127 CHIEF OFFICERS AND ABOVE.

NOW

THERE WERE 88 OFFICERS EMPLOYED ON EXPATRIATE TERMS. THERE WERE ONLY EIGHT, AND THIS WAS SOON TO BE REDUCED TO SEVEN WHEN HE RETIRES IN THREE MONTHS' TIME, HE SAID,

MR HIGGINBOTTOM WAS SPEAKING AS INSPECTING OFFICER AT THE PASSING-OUT PARADE OF 65 CORRECTIONAL SERVICES RECRUITS, AT THE DEPARTMENT'S STAFF TRAINING INSTITUTE IN STANLEY.

HE TOLD THE RECRUITS THAT THE WAY WAS OPEN TO THEM TO PROGRESS THROUGH THE RANKS TO THE VERY TOP.

+ABILITY, DEDICATION, A WILLINGNESS TO WORK HARD AND THE RECOGNITION AND TREATMENT OF PRISONERS AS FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS WHO HAVE BEEN IMPRISONED AS A PUNISHMENT, NOT TO BE PUNISHED, ARE THE KEYS TO SUCCESS, HE ADDED.

MR HIGGINBOTTOM ALSO PRESENTED SILVER WHISTLES TO THE TWO BEST RECRUITS, ASSISTANT OFFICERS LEE CHI-ON AND WAN KEUNG-KIN.

SEMINAR DEALS WITH EMPLOYMENT LAW *****

A SEMINAR WILL BE HELD ON SUNDAY (DECEMBER 23) TO FAMILIARISE MANUFACTURERS AND WORKERS IN TUEN MUN WITH THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE.

ABOUT 200 LOCAL MANUFACTURERS AND WORKERS ARE EXPECTED TO TAKE PART IN THE SEMINAR.

THE LABOUR OFFICER, MR MAN TAK-WAH, WILL SPEAK ON THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE DEALING WITH CONTRACTS OF EMPLOYMENT, STATUTORY HOLIDAYS, SICKNESS ALLOWANCES AND PAID ANNUAL LEAVE.

THERE WILL ALSO BE A SLIDE SHOW AND A QUESTION-AND-ANSWER SESSION DURING THE SEMINAR.

ORGANISED BY THE COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY COMMITTEE OF THE TUEN MUN DISTRICT BOARD, THE SEMINAR ILL BE HELD IN THE YAN CI TONG CENTRE IN TUEN MUN.

*

717