XN000022-1990-10-30 — Page 7

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1990

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"UNLESS YOU ARE A PERSON WHO HAS WORKED IN PRISON, YOU MAY NEVER REALISE THE PROBLEMS INVOLVED IN MANAGING IT.

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IN ADDITION TO RELYING ON OUR PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES IN HANDLING INMATES, THE DEPARTMENT HAS ALSO BEEN RESEARCHING ON NEW KNOWLEDGE THAT IS USEFUL IN UNDERSTANDING AND HELPING THE OFFENDERS TO SERVE THEIR SENTENCE IN A MORE CONSTRUCTIVE WAY AND HOPEFULLY TO MAKE THEMSELVES USEFUL TO SOCIETY UPON RELEASE,' HE SAID.

IN THE CSD STUDY, WHICH WAS CONDUCTED

WITH THE HELP OF THE GOVERNMENT LABORATORY, HAIR AND BLOOD SAMPLES OF 94 PAIRS OF VIOLENT AND NON-VIOLENT PRISONERS TAKEN WITH THEIR CONSENT WERE ANALYSED AND COMPARED.

THE GROUP OF VIOLENT PRISONERS CONSISTED OF THOSE WHO HAD COMMITTED VIOLENT OFFENCES BEFORE ADMISSION AND HAD A RECORD OF INSTITUTIONAL DISCIPLINARY OFFENCES INVOLVING THE USE OF PHYSICAL VIOLENCE ON TWO OR MORE OCCASIONS.

THEY HAD ALSO BEEN ASSESSED BY A CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST A9 VIOLENCE-PRONE BEFORE THEIR INCLUSION IN THE STUDY GROUP.

BLOOD TESTS SHOWED THAT THERE WAS NO STATISTICALLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS.

SIGNIFICANT

AS FOR HAIR SAMPLES, AMOUNTS OF 13 TRACE METALS WERE ANALYSED. THE AVERAGE IRON CONTENT WAS FOUND TO BE 13.45 UG/G FOR VIOLENT PRISONERS, SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THE FIGURE OF 7.92 UG/G FOR

NON-VIOLENT PRISONERS.

THE FINDINGS OF THE STUDY ARE IN LINE WITH CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCHES CONDUCTED IN ADVANCED COUNTRIES, NOTABLY IN THE US, WHICH HAD IDENTIFIED CERTAIN BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS AS HAVING CORRELATION WITH VIOLENCE-PRONENESS.

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DEBATE ON GOVERNOR'S POLICY ADDRESS RESUMED

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NINE OFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (LEGCO) WILL REPLY TO POINTS RAISED BY OTHER MEMBERS LAST WEEK ON THE GOVERNOR'S POLICY ADDRESS WHEN THE COUNCIL RESUMES ITS DEBATE ON WEDNESDAY (OCTOBER 31).

THE DEBATE IS ON A MOTION OF THANKS MOVED BY THE SENIOR LEGCO MEMBER, THE HON ALLEN LEE.

APART FROM THE DEBATE, FOUR BILLS WILL BE INTRODUCED FOR FIRST AND SECOND READINGS.

THEY ARE FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS { AMENDMENT) BILL 1990; MERCHANT SHIPPING (AMENDMENT} BILL 1990; AGRICULTURAL PESTICIDES (AMENDMENT) BILL 1990 AND EVIDENCE (AMENDMENT) BILL 1990.

/TWO BILLS