XN000022-1985-03-18 — Page 3

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MONDAY, MARCH 18, 1985

+FOR THESE REASONS, IT IS NOT EASY FOR A JUDGE TO BE ACTIVE IN PROMOTING THE USE OF ALTERNATIVES TO IMPRISONMENT, SINCE HE IS LIKELY TO BE SUBJECTED TO STRONG CRITICISM FOR ADOPTING WHAT IS SEEN AS A WEAK CONCESSION TO WOOLLY-MINDED THINKING, HE SAID.

SIR DENYS SUGGESTED THAT SOCIAL REFORMERS OR PENOLOGISTS, WHO SOUGHT TO ACHIEVE A CHANGE IN THE BALANCE OF PUNISHMENT. WITH IMPRISONMENT BEING USED ONLY AS A GENUINE LAST RESORT, SHOULD CONCENTRATE ON ALTERING THE ATTITUDES OF JUDGES, THOUGH THEY WOULD NOT FIND THIS AN EASY TASK,

ON THE ROLE OF CORRECTIONAL ADMINISTRATORS, HE SAID THEY DID NOT REGARD IT AS THEIR PRIMARY DUTY TO PUNISH AN OFFENDER, SINCE HIS MERE PRESENCE IN THE INSTITUTION WAS ITSELF THE REAL PUNISHMENT, BUT TO TRY TO ENSURE THAT, WHEN HE RETURNED TO SOCIETY, THE PRISONER WOULD MERGE INTO IT SUCCESSFULLY AND WOULD NOT TRANSGRESS ITS RULES AGAIN.

TO MANAGE A MIXTURE OF PRISONERS, A CORRECTIONAL ADMINISTRATOR MUST POSSESS MANY QUALITIES, SUCH AS SHOWING COMPLETE IMPARTIALITY BETWEEN ONE PRISONER AND ANOTHER HAVING AN ENDLESS SUPPLY OF PATIENCE- AND HAVING CHARITY, AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE FACT THAT A PRISONER, ALTHOUGH HE HAD OFFENDED SOCIETY, REMAINED AN INDIVIDUAL, ENTITLED TO A MEASURE OF HUMAN DIGNITY AND HUMANITY, HE SAID.

+ANYONE WHO BECOMES A CORRECTIONAL ADMINISTRATOR HAS CHOSEN A CAREER, WHICH WILL STRETCH HIS MORAL AND PHYSICAL STRENGTH TO ITS LIMITS, AND WHICH IS ESSENTIAL TO THE HEALTH AND STABILITY OF SOCIETY, + HE SAID.

SIR DENYS SAID THE CORRECTIONAL ADMINISTRATOR HAD TO SERVE TWO AIMS. +ON ONE HAND, HE MUST ENSURE THAT PRISON REMAINS A DETERRENT TO OTHERS, AND AN EXPERIENCE WHICH NO PRISONER WISHES TO REPEAT ON THE OTHER HAND, HE MUST HELP THE PRISONER TO AVOID BITTERNESS AND HOPELESSNESS, SO THAT HE WILL MAKE A DECENT LIFE FOR HIMSELF ON HIS RELEASE.+

+

HE PAID TRIBUTE TO THE CONVENOR OF THE MEETING, MR THOMAS GARNER, WHO WILL BE RETIRING SHORTLY FROM THE POST OF COMMISSIONER OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES IN HONG KONG, AFTER 13 YEARS IN THIS EXACTING OFFICE AND OVER 37 YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE DEPARTMENT.

SINCE MR GARNER JOINED WHAT WAS THEN CALLED THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT, IT HAD CHANGED RADICALLY IN NATURE. FROM BEING A SERVICE WHICH WAS INTENDED ONLY TO PROVIDE PRISON ACCOMMODATION, IT HAD BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO ONE WHICH PROVIDED A WIDE RANGE OF TREATMENTS AND HAD BECOME, IN THE FULL SENSE, A CORRECTIONAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION.

+ IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, HE HAS PLAYED A LEADING PART IN THE ESTABLISHMENT, OR DEVELOPMENT, OF DRUG ADDICTION TREATMENT CENTRES DETENTION CENTRES, AND COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDERS AND IN THE MOVEMENT TO INTRODUCE A LIMITED FORM OF PAROLE, SIR DENYS SAID.

/+HE HAS