XN000022-1996-11-27 — Page 17

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Post-Release Supervision of Prisoners (Amendment) Bill 1996: second reading

Following is the speech by the Secretary for Security, Mr Peter Lai, in moving the second reading of the Post-Release Supervision of Prisoners (Amendment) Bill 1996 in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Mr President,

I move that the Post-Release Supervision of Prisoners (Amendment) Bill 1996 be read a second time.

This Bill principally seeks to empower Police officers, and certain officers of the Correctional Services Department to arrest and take into custody any person who has failed to comply with the terms of a supervision order under the Post-Release Supervision Scheme and is unlawfully at large.

The Post-Release Supervision of Prisoners Ordinance establishes a scheme to help discharged prisoners reintegrate into society as law-abiding citizens, by providing them with guidance and supervision after release. The Ordinance is expected to come into effect on 30 November 1996. Under this Ordinance, the Post-Release Supervision Board may suspend the supervision order of a person who has failed to comply with the terms of the supervision order, and if such a suspension order is made the Commissioner of Correctional Services may order the recall of the person involved into custody. However, the Ordinance does not specifically empower officers to arrest this person and take him into custody. Such powers are provided in other legislation involving supervision of prisoners, such as the Detention Centres Ordinance and the Drug Addiction Treatment Centres Ordinance.

It is highly desirable, indeed necessary to specify powers of arrest in the Post- Release Supervision of Prisoners Ordinance, Failure to do so will seriously hamper the effective operation of the Scheme. Unfortunately, this has not been done. Hence, the need to rectify the omission through this amendment bill.

Thank you, Mr President.

End