Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
#1
Criminals were handed an extra £2 million of taxpayers' money in the first nine months of a scheme which allows them out of jail early.
Justice Secretary Jack Straw said the cash was shared between nearly 24,000 inmates freed during the period.
Conservatives said the hand-outs "added insult to injury" because not only were offenders being freed early, they were being "paid for the privilege".
The Tories calculated the sum amounted to £82 per prisoner, on top of the standard £47 discharge grant received by all offenders on leaving jail.
I have mixed feelings on this cos if you just throw the lads out onto the streets with very little or no cash then many turn to petty crime just to raise some cash for food and drink and the cycle of crime starts all over again.Maybe train and bus warrants with food coupons would be a better solution than hard currency.
I also feel we should have govt run factories or work schemes where these lads could go and work for 6 months in the community earning a reasonable wage and doing jobs like getting rid of graffiti,pressure washing chewing gum off pavements,watering street plants and general tidying.None of which are rocket science and quite easy to undertake and would be beneficial for the local community.
But it would give them a reason to get out of bed in the morning and the opportunity to get back into the routine of full time employment.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
#2
I can only agree - prison is an option in terms of punishment, and I am not against punishment, but in the long term it rarely does anything about the core challenges that ex-cons face. And ex-cons are simply people who have done something bad, they are not (all!!) bad people. (Some are, of course, but fewer than you might think!) If we really want to reduce crime and promote inclusion we need exactly what MArek suggests - a purpose, a means towards self esteem, and reason to get out of bed, and areward for doing so!
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#3
i could not agree more with the 2 posts on here.
the old community service schemes, when run properly, actually benefited the community and offender.
many youngsters after decorating an old persons home, went back at a later date, after the work was completed
to do odd jobs.
for the first rime they has seen old people as human beings rather than a potential mugging victim.
i do not know why this scheme seems to have stopped.
a lot of young offenders have spent their lives being shunted from one foster home to another.
they must have a stake in society, and some target, to bring them into the mainstream.
#4
Absolutely - we have lost the community focus and are too ready to blame without offering potential solutions. Everyone needs a chance or two! And a reason to be.
Guest 660- Registered: 14 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,205
#5
On a slightly different note,on the footpath between Anstee Road and De Burg Hill there is an area of wall that has been heavily Graffitised ? at the moment I am working with Community Payback(Probation Service) to clean this and the path up.The house owner (a former Policeman) has agreed to having a mural painted over the Graffiti,so along with my Community Warden we have got the Funding and St Edmunds have agreed in principle to doing the Mural,
The Cost is being found for the work by KCC Cllr Gordon Cowan and I have put up the prize for the winning artist out of my personal money.
The main cost is for the paint and the wall has to be rendered,which is where Community Payback comes in,hopefully they have someone who can do it and repay the community,this shows good inter agency working and although the path still has problems we are hoping the work we are doing will encourage DDC to put the other problems right,this is not the first time that Community Payback has helped clean up this area.
If you knew what I know,we would both be in trouble!
#6
Nice One - I am impressed and appreciate what you are doing.
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
#7
I think you will find some of this community service still goes on
#8
"Community Service" often comprises young fellas turning up (or not), spending extended periods of time on their mobile phones, tatting about, then going home. Little or none of the time wasting or non-attendance is challnged or followed up, and it is not the lads fault if they are allowed to get away with doing bugger all - remember, they often come from backgrounds where structure is non-existent and consequences poor, so it really is up to the system to re-install those values in these lads. It fails to do so and people running that system should feel shamed.
Guest 643- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,321
#9
I recently visited a country park where young lads on community service were working with the groundsmen tidying up and planting the lovely gardens. They really looked as though they were enjoying the work and speaking to one of the managers there who is a friend of mine she told me that some of them had even said they would like to work there, or somewhere similar as a career. I think if offenders are made to feel valued and are given interesting work (as opposed to picking up litter etc) then it gives them a boost and a direction to aim for.
Let's face it, a lot of the youngsters who are doing community service have committed silly "crimes" brought about through nothing better to do. Give them a reason d'etre and many will redirect their lives.
There's always a little truth behind every "Just kidding", a little emotion behind every "I don't care" and a little pain behind every "I'm ok".
#10
I couldn't agree more - it really is our responsibility, as a society or a community, to give these young people a fresh chance. So many of them respond positively, it's really worth a shot.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#11
bern
you are being very reactionary here.
we do not not need to shoot them, well not all of them.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
#12
You're right Howard - not ALL of them !!
Roger
#13
