XN000022-1987-01-09 — Page 7

FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 1987

COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDERS SCHEME LAUNCHED

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EXPERIENCED PROBATION OFFICERS HAVE BEEN APPOINTED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT FOR THE OPERATION OF THE TWO-YEAR PILOT SCHEME ON COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDERS (CSO) LAUNCHED ON JANUARY 1.

OUTLINING THE WORKING ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE SCHEME TO THE HONG LONG FEDERATION OF WOMEN LAWYERS, SENIOR SOCIAL WORK OFFICER (C30), MRS IRENE SIH, SAID THAT COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDER, AS A NEW FORM OF SENTENCE, HAD SINCE THAT DATE BECOME AVAILABLE TO THREE MAGISTRACIES AT CENTRÁL, KWUN TONG AND TSUEN WAN.

SHE NOTED THAT AS PROVIDED BY THE COMMUNITY SERVICE ONDERS ORDINANCE, A COURT MIGHT SENTENCE AN OFFENDER OF OR OVER 14 YEARS OF AGE CONVICTED OF AN OFFENCE PUNISHABLE WITH IMPRISONMENT TO PERFORM UNPAID WORK OF BANEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY FOR A NUMBER OF HOURS NOT EXCEEDING 240. THE SUPERVISION OF THE OFFENDER PLACED UNDER THE ORDER WOULD BE DONE BY THE PROBATION OFFICER.

THE ORDINANCE ALSO SPECIFIES, AMONG OTHER REQUIREMENTS, THAT THE SENTENCING COURT SHALL CONSIDER A REPORT BY A PROBATION OFFICER ON THE OFFENDER AND HIS CIRCUMSTANCES BEFORE THE MAKING OF SUCH AN ORDER.

+THIS RESPONSIBILITY IS GIVEN TO THE PROBATION SERVICE AS THE ORDER AIMS AT BEING BOTH PUNITIVE AND REHABILITATIVE, AND THE PROBATION SERVICE HAS RICH EXPERIENCE IN REHABILITATION OF OFFENDERS UNDER PROBATION ORDER.

+THE PROBATION OFFICERS ARE THEREFORE CONSIDERED BEST SUITABLE FOR TAKING UP THIS RESPONSIBILITY, + SHE SAID.

MRS SIH SAID A COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDER OFFICE HAD BEEN SET UP AT THE CHOI WAN ESTATE COMMUNITY CENTRE TO DEAL WITH MATTERS RELATING TO THE ORDER AND THE SUPERVISION OF OFFENDERS PLACED UNDER THE ORDER.

THIS INCLUDES ARRANGEMENT OF WORK PLACEMENT FOR THE OFFENDERS UNDER THE ORDER, PROVISION OF REHABILITATIVE COUNSELLING AND GUIDANCE TO THESE OFFENDERS, AND HANDLING BREACH, VARIATION AND REVOCATION OF THE ORDER.

PROBATION OFFICERS ATTACHED TO THE THREE MAGISTRACIES WHERE CSO MAY BE MADE WILL TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO CONSIDER, AMONG OTHER ALTERNATIVES, WHETHER THE OFFENDER WOULD BE SUITABLE TO BE PLACED UNDER AN ORDER, AND WILL, IN SUITABLE CASES, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE PROBATION OFFICER OF THE CSO OFFICE MAKE A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE MAKING OF THE ORDER IN THE PROBATION OFFICER'S REPORT TO COURT.

/+THE COURT