Prison officials in Washington maintain that the actions of the bureau director, J. Michael Quinlan, were not motivated by political interests.

Under pressure from budget officials, bureau directors had concentrated on raising revenues by collecting more tickets; in 1970, 7 of 10 went unpaid.

But they also acknowledge that Mr. Kimberlin is the only inmate known to have been placed in solitary confinement on orders from a bureau director.

His swearing-in as bureau director has been postponed indefinitely, and an official said the ceremony, already delayed twice, might now be put off until December.

As a political assistant, she receives HK$163,960 per month, 55% of a bureau director's salary.

Consistent with the practice at other city agencies, some bureau directors at the department are now called "assistant commissioners."

The attorney general and bureau director strongly support the change, law enforcement officials said.

After retiring as bureau director in 1975, she became an executive with the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies.

Robert Pellegrino, the bureau director of marketing and technology for the State Department of Agriculture, agrees.

The first bureau director is Rob Abent.