XN000022-1987-10-14 — Page 32

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1987

MR WONG SAID MEMBERS RECOGNISED THAT A BALANCE BE STRUCK BETWEEN THE INCENTIVES FOR PRISONERS TO

WOULD HAVE THE SCHEME AND THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT HAVING THE SCHEME CONSTRUED AS

TAKE ADVANTAGE SOFTENING OF HONG KONG'S EFFORTS IN PREVENTING CRIME.

TO

OF

A

A PRISONER TO

"BUT SOME MEMBERS CONSIDER IT UNDULY HARSH FOR LOSE HIS REMISSION UPON HIS OPTING FOR THE SCHEME, AND HAVE THAT THE EARNED REMISSION HE DEDUCTED FROM HE SAID.

THE SUPERVISION

SUGGESTED PERIOD, "

FINALLY, MR WONG NOTED THAT THE ADMINISTRATION TO CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW ON

HAD UNDERTAKEN SCHEMES IN REFORMING OFFENDERS AFTER A PERIOD OF THREE YEARS

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE TWO POSSIBLE ADJUSTMENTS COULD BE CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF OF THE REVIEW.

THE

SO THAT OUTCOME

PAROLE BILL WILL NOT SOFTEN ANTI-CRIME APPROACH

* *

THE PRISONERS (RELEASE UNDER SUPERVISION) BILL 1987 SHOULD NOT BE PERCEIVED AS AN ATTEMPT то SOFTEN THE GOVERNMENT'S DETERMINED APPROACH TO COMBAT CRIMES ESPECIALLY THE VIOLENT AND SERIOUS ONES DR THE HON HO KAM-FAI TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY {

{WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING DURING THE RESUMED DEBATE ON THE BILL, DR HO SAID THE MAIN FEATURE OF THE BILL WAS TO RELEASE AN OFFENDER BEFORE HE HAD FULLY SERVED HIS SENTENCE. THE OFFENDER WAS THEN PLACED UNDER SUPERVISION, AND WAS GIVEN REGULAR COUNSELLING AND GUIDANCE UP TO THE FULL LENGTH OF HIS SENTENCE.

-

AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE LENGTH OF THE SENTENCE IS BY NO MEANS REDUCED, BUT THE OFFENDER IS ONLY GIVEN AN OPTION AS TO HOW HE WANTS TO SERVE HIS SENTENCE.' HE SAID.

'FURTHERMORE, AN OFFENDER WHO HIS SUPERVISION ORDER IS LIABLE TO A FOR 12 MONTHS.

CONTRAVENES THE CONDITIONS OF FINE OF $5,000 AND IMPRISONMENT

"AN OFFENDER WHO IS CONVICTED OF A NEW OFFENCE DURING HIS SUPERVISION PERIOD AND SENTENCED TO IMPRISONMENT WILL ALSO FACE THE PROSPECT OF HAVING HIS SUPERVISION ORDER REVOKED," HE ADDED.

DR HO SAID THAT THE PRIMARY AIM OF THE BILL WAS IN THE COMMUNITY'S SENTIMENTS ΤΟ REHABILITATE OFFENDERS PUNITIVE MEASURES FOR THEIR WRONGDOINGS.

LINE

WITH ALONGSIDE

/HE SAID