XN000022-1987-01-09 — Page 8

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 1987

+THE COURT MAY STILL CONTINUE WITH ITS PRESENT PRACTICE OF CALLING FOR A PROBATION OFFICER'S REPORT ON THE OFFENDER BEFORE SENTENCING.

+YET IF THE COURT SPECIFICALLY WOULD LIKE TO CONSIDER CSO FOR AN OFFNEDER, THE COURT MAY CALL FOR A SUITABILITY REPORT ON CSO ON THE OFFENDER, AND THE PROBATION OFFICER OF THE CSO OFFICE WILL THEN PREPARE THE SUITABILITY REPORT TO COURT.+ SHE EXPLAINED.

+ IT IS CLEARLY NOT NECESSARY FOR THE COURT TO CALL FOR BOTH A PROBATION OFFICER'S REPORT AND A SUITABILITY REPORT ON CSO ON THE SAME OFFENDER AT THE SAME TIME, SHE ADDED.

IN CONSIDERING SUITABILITY FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDER, SHE SAID, PROBATION OFFICERS WOULD TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE NATURE OF THE OFFENCE, THE CHARACTER, SOCIAL BACKGROUND AND OTHER RELEVANT CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE OFFENDER, AND ALSO SEE IF THERE WAS SUFFICIENT STABILITY IN THE OFFENDER'S SITUATION FOR HIM TO COMPLETE THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE ORDER, AS WELL AS THE INTERESTS OF THE COMMUNITY.

+ON THE SUPERVISION OF OFFENDERS PLACED UNDER CSO, THE PROBATION OFFICERS OF THE CSO OFFICE WILL ARRANGE FOR THE OFFENDERS (KNOWN AS COMMUNITY SERVICE WORKERS) TO PREFORM WORK AND ENSURE THAT THEY WOULD COMPLETE THE STIPULATED NUMBER OF HOURS OF WORK IN A SATISFACTORY MANNER AS WELL AS COMPLY WITH OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS IN THE ORDER.

*THE PROBATION OFFICER WILL ALSO PROVIDE COMMUNITY SERVICE WORKERS WITH COUNSELLING AND GUIDANCE AND HELP THEM TO REHABILITATE MAINLY THROUGH THE COMMUNITY SERVICE THEY PERFORM,+ SHE SAID.

MRS SIH POINTED OUT THAT THE WORK WOULD BE ARRANGED DURING THE LEISURE TIME OF THE WORKERS, NORMALLY OVER THE WEEKENDS, PUBLIC HOLIDAYS, OR WEEKDAY EVENINGS, IN SESSIONS OF FOUR TO EIGHT CONSECUTIVE HOURS, AND WOULD NOT DISRUPT THE EMPLOYMENT, SCHOOLING OR OTHER TRAINING OF THE OFFENDER.

THE WORK WOULD BE PROVIDED BY GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND VOLUNTARY WELFARE AGENCIES, AND THE PLACES OF WORK MIGHT BE AT HOSPITALS, BEACHES, COUNTRY PARKS, HOMES FOR CHILDREN, THE DISABLED, AND THE ELDERLY, SHE ADDED.

ON THE NATURE OF WORK, SHE SAID: THERE ARE TWO CATEGORIES OF WORK, THE FIRST IS WORK NOT INVOLVING DIRECT CONTACT WITH PEOPLE SUCH AS CLEANSING, GRASS-CUTTING, MINOR REPAIRS, AND THE OTHER IS WORK INVOLVING DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE SERVICE RECIPIENTS SUCH AS ASSISTANCE IN RUNNING PROGRAMMES AND CARING FOR THE DISABLED AND THE ELDERLY.+

/SHE EXPLAINED