ENG-1957 — Page 246

210

HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT

the Magistracies of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, and the courts of Tai Po and Ping Shan in the New Territories; all are liaison officers to the District Courts and the Supreme Court.

The total number of persons at present on probation is 149 males and 21 females. Voluntary supervision is exercised by the probation officers over 17 male cases referred by either the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs, Magistrates, Police or welfare agencies. These cases receive the same standard of supervision as that given to probationers, so that the sum total of cases under supervision is 187 (166 males and 21 females). During the year there were 65 completed cases, of which 55 were satisfactory, 8 were charged with new offences, and 2 were untraced. These figures indicate 85% successful probation cases.

As liaison officers, the probation staff make available to the courts evidence on the family and environmental back- ground of offenders, and of beggars, who in Hong Kong present an almost insoluble problem. In the past year probation officers carried out social investigations concern- ing 2,12 males and 199 females, of whom 698 males and 92 females were referred to various institutions-such as camps, hospitals, and welfare centres-for assistance. In- quiries are also made into the suitability of certain young offenders for reformative training at one or other of the two Training Centres under the administration of the Prisons Department.

An important step forward was taken in December 1956 with the enactment of the Probation of Offenders Ordinance, whereby comprehensive legislation was introduced extend- ing probation to adults and making provision for the establishment of Probation Homes and Hostels, and Proba- tion Case Committees.

Considerable use is made by the Juvenile Courts of the Remand Home for short-term residential training as well