ENG-1958 — Page 221

SOCIAL WELFARE

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the 50 females, 29 were adults. The courts are tending to make increased use of probation as an alternative to imprisonment or other sentences, especially in the case of adults. 106 persons ceased to be on probation during the year; of these 16 were charged with new offences while still on probation and 2 were untraced. The remainder, 83%, satisfactorily completed the period of probation.

Much of the time of the probation staff was occupied in investi- gating the family and other background of offenders brought before the courts, with a view to making a report designed to assist the judge in passing appropriate sentence. During the year social investigations were conducted in the case of 1,924 males and 179 females of whom 115 males and 15 females were sentenced to detention in institutions run by the Probation Section; others were referred to welfare centres, clinics, etc. for assistance in rehabilitation or sent for reformative training to one or other of the training centres administered by the Prisons Department. Probation was more widely used by the Courts as an alternative to imprisonment in cases of default in payment of fines.

In January 1958 the Probation of Offenders Rules were intro- duced under the Ordinance passed at the end of 1956; these Rules govern the functions of Probation Officers and Probation Com- mittees. Two Probation Committees were appointed, one for Hong Kong Island and the other for Kowloon and the New Territories. The Remand Home, which has accommodation for 54 juveniles, was widely used by the Juvenile Courts and the Police for three types of cases; juveniles arrested and awaiting trial, juveniles on remand, and juveniles sentenced to detention for residential train- ing for periods of a few months. 4,114 persons, of whom 770 were girls, were admitted to the Home during the year.

Castle Peak Boys' Home, which had been administered by the Salvation Army under an agreement with the Government, was taken over on 1st April 1958 and is now run as an Approved School by the Probation Section. This institution has accommoda- tion for a hundred delinquent boys sentenced to detention for vocational and trade training for periods of between two and five years. The curriculum includes primary education, carpentry, shoe- making and leather-work, tailoring, rattan weaving, gardening, and pig and poultry keeping. The Salvation Army runs a Girls' Home