68. Investigations of social background often involve a number of office interviews and home visits, and relevant information comes from such sources as the offender himself, his parents or relatives, schools, the police, other welfare agencies, professional personnel such as social workers, doctors or ministers and other people concerned with the offender. The technical 'success' rate, that is, the number of those who completed their periods of probation without any further offences, is now 67 percent. Most of the 'failures' were subsequently committed to further reformatory school training, to a training centre or to prison if they belonged to the older age-group.
69. The introduction of a revised manning scale in August 1971 helped to reduce the caseload of each probation officer from 60 to 50 supervision cases, and from 30 to 25 social enquiries each month. At the same time the increase in the number of cases and the completion of two new magistracies, namely the Tsuen Wan and San Po Kong Magistracies, have also entailed an increase in the size of the staff from 53 officers to 81 officers.
CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS
70. The Castle Peak Boys' Home and the O Pui Shan Boys' Home are reformatory schools established under the Industrial and Reforma- tory Schools Ordinance Chapter 225. These schools provide residential care and training for juvenile offenders committed by the Juvenile Court for an indeterminate sentence of between one to five years. The Castle Peak Boys' Home has a capacity for 120 and caters for senior boys aged 14-16, while the O Pui Sha Boys' Home which has a capacity for 140 caters for junior boys aged 14 and under. In both Homes a pro- gramme of training is designed so as to let the boys grow and develop in a fairly free, but reasonably controlled and disciplined atmosphere. This programme includes a normal school curriculum, pre-vocational and trade training classes, group discussions, scouting activities, sports and recreational activities, all of which are directed towards character training and social adjustment. During the year there were 141 admis- sions to, and 128 discharges from the two reformatory schools.
After-care Programme
71. When a youngster leaves a reformatory school, he is released on licence under the supervision of an after-care officer of the Depart- ment. Before being formally discharged he is boarded out for a short
17
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.