PRISONERS’ AID

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32308, 28 May 1970, Page 10

PRISONERS’ AID

Warning To Members

It was most dangerous for prison social workers to try! to develop friendships with inmates so much that they became emotionally involved, the president of the Prisoners’ Aid and Rehabilitation [Society (Mr R. A. Hocking) warned members of the Canterbury-Westland branch of the society at their annual meeting. Firm friendships should be developed but the voluntary social workers had to be strong enough to “take knocks.” Prison inmates seemed to develop a persecution complex, he said. Social workers might have some difficulty in [reconciling their own ethical standards with those of the persons they were helping, and they had to be sensitive enough to understand their 'thinking rather than what they said—because they were often inarticulate. Officers elected for the ensuing year were:—

President, Mr P. B. Cosgriff; vice-presidents, Messrs R. G. Mauger, A. W. Keyes; treasurer, Mr K. S. Jameson; secretary, Mr G. Shakespeare; councillors, Messrs E. A. Crothall, P.-Lang, J. H. Taurua, M. Tryon, M. L. Rathgen, and N. Gresson, Brigadier G. Fitness, Captain M. Hart, Rev. B. Mackie, Sister Judith, Mesdames A. Young and V. M. Smythe.