XN000022-1987-07-08 — Page 63

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 1987

TWO SCHEMES FOR RELEASE ON PAROLE PROPOSED

A BILL SEEKING TO GIVE LEGAL EFFECT TO TWO PROPOSED SCHEMES FOR PRISONERS TO BE RELEASED ON PAROLE, NAMELY, THE RELEASE UNDER SUPERVISION SCHEME AND THE PRE-RELEASE EMPLOYMENT SCHEME, WAS INTRODUCED INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

MOVING THE SECOND READING OF THE PRISONERS (RELEASE UNDER SUPERVISION) BILL 1987, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON DAVID JEAFFRESON, SAID THE BILL ALSO PROVIDED FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A RELEASE UNDER SUPERVISION BOARD WHICH WOULD MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GOVERNOR ON MATTERS WHICH REQUIRED DECISIONS UNDER THE

LEGISLATION.

MR JEAFFRESON POINTED OUT THAT THE IDEA OF INTRODUCING A SYSTEM OF PAROLE IN HONG KONG HAD BEEN UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR MORE THAN 15 YEARS, AND THE GOVERNMENT HAD LONG CONSIDERED THAT THERE WOULD BE CONSIDERABLE BENEFITS BOTH FOR SOCIETY AND FOR THE PERSONS INVOLVED IN SUCH A SCHEME.

FOR THE SOCIETY AS A WHOLE, HE EXPLAINED THAT THE SUCCESS OF A PENAL SYSTEM LARGELY DEPENDED ON THE EXTENT TO WHICH IT REDUCED THE NUMBER OF PRISONERS RETURNING TO CRIME ON RELEASE FROM PRISON.

"A PAROLE SYSTEM, IN THIS CONTEXT, PROVIDES A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR PRISONERS TO BE RELEASED INTO THE COMMUNITY AT THE TIME WHEN, UNLESS THEY ARE HARDENED CRIMINALS, THEY ARE MOST LIKELY то BE ABLE TO RE-ESTABLISH THEMSELVES WITHOUT REVERTING TO CRIME.

CRIMINALS

"BY THUS PROVIDING FOR PRISONERS WHO ARE NOT HARDENED TO BE RELEASED ON PAROLE, WE SHOULD BE ABLE то REDUCE THE RISK TO SOCIETY OF THEIR SUBSQUENTLY MISBEHAVING, MR JEAFFRESON SAID.

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AS FOR THE PRISONERS THEMSELVES, HE SAID A PAROLE SYSTEM PROVIDED ONE OF THE BEST MEANS TO HELP THEM TO ADJUST FROM A HIGHLY DISCIPLINED PRISON ENVIRONMENT TO THE FREEDOM OF LIVING NORMALLY IN

THE COMMUNITY.

"AS A RESULT OF THIS HELP, THEY SHOULD BE IN A BETTER POSITION ΤΟ LEAD A LAW-ABIDING LIFE AND NOT то RETURN TO CRIME AGAIN, "MR JEAFFRESON ADDED.

HE SAID THE PROBLEM IN THE PAST OF THE LACK OF THIS FIELD AND THE DOUBT AS TO WHETHER THE PUBLIC WOULD A SCHEME HAD BEEN OVERCOME.

EXPERIENCE IN SUPPORT SUCH

MR JEAFFRESON EXPLAINED THAT THE PAROLE INVOLVED THE EARLY RELEASE, UNDER SUPERVISION, OF CAREFULLY SELECTED PRISONERS WHOM IT WAS CONSIDERED WOULD BE MOST LIKELY TO BE SUCCESSFULLY REINTEGRATED INTO THE SOCIETY.

/HE SAID