Social_Welfare_Annual_Report_1954-1955 — Page 21

46. Working in conjunction with the Probation Section are several voluntary organizations dealing with the care of offenders, the majority of which are given Government sub- ventions. Some of them are responsible for institutions for juvenile delinquents and 2 provide after-care for discharged prisoners. Boys in the reformatory school at Stanley set up under the Industrial and Reformatory Schools Ordinance, 1933, and administered by the Commissioner of Prisons were trans- ferred in February, 1953 to a new approved school run on behalf of the Social Welfare Office by the Salvation Army, the old premises being used as a Borstal by the Prisons Department. In addition to being trained in good citizenship, the 80 boys of the Castle Peak Boys' Home are taught shoe-making, car- pentry, tailoring, rattan work, and agriculture. At the Kwai Chung Girls' Home, the approved school for girls which is also managed by the Salvation Army on behalf of the Social Welfare Office, the vocational training given to the 37 girls is mainly in domestic work.

47. Two centres established by philanthropic committees serve to meet the needs of the many delinquent children whose offences are not serious but have arisen out of some social deficiency. Problem children are mainly catered for but there is also a sprinkling of destitute boys who are in need of care. Each centre is used partly as a club and partly as a hostel. During the year vocational training consisted of tailoring, rattan weaving, and broom making. The Juvenile Care Centre was attended by 120 children including 40 boarders, members of evening clubs. The Shanghai Street Children's Centre had 100 members, 40 of whom were boarders. An important feature of the training given at this centre is the encourage- ment given to the members to be responsible for the discipline of the whole group: rules were drawn up by the members themselves and punishment is referred to their own "court" presided over by 2 senior boys. An Assistant Probation Officer was seconded as Manager of the Centre.

48. Discharged Prisoners' Aid and prison-visiting was carried out in respect of female prisoners by the Hong Kong Family Welfare Society and male prisoners by the Salvation

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