Community Orders

jambutty · 16-06-2008, 12:44

Yet another highly controversial topic on the Radio 2 Jeremy Vine show.

In some towns around the country criminals convicted of ‘minor’ crimes get “Community Orders” as a means of punishment.

The ‘criminals’ wear a high visibility tabard as they go about their allotted tasks. It was suggested that the tabards for the males, were in hi visibility girlie pink emblazoned with pretty flowers. No one seems to have thought what the females would wear. However the idea is to humiliate the offenders as well as punish them. I’ll bet there will be strong opinions on this point. I feel that humiliating an offender in this way would be counter productive.

Opinion seems to be divided with, according to the written response on the BBC Radio 2 web site, http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/vine/yoursay_mon1.shtml leaning towards yes it’s a good idea.

I suppose that this initiative is the modern equivalent to dumping offenders in the stocks to await missiles of rotten fruit and eggs etc.

If it was organised and supervised properly this could be the answer to bring the miscreants back into line. Sadly, as is usual with this excuse for a government, it is being done on a shoe-string and hardly thought through.

Non-attendance seems to be rife and the courts just don’t want to know and send them back for “Community Service”.

What is needed is that if an offender fails to turn up or lazes around not doing the work, one day should be added to the sentence. To balance that, one day should be deducted from the sentence if the criminal does attend AND MOST IMPORTANTLY does the task to the satisfaction of the supervisor.

The other contentious issue is what sort of work. First of all it MUST NOT take work away from current employees, thus making them redundant. Secondly the work must be within the capabilities of the offender. This limits the sort of work that could be done but seeing as street cleaners are few and far between this could be one task, particularly in autumn and not just limited to the town centres. The removal of graffiti could be another.

cashman · 16-06-2008, 15:10

am not a fan of community orders, to me they are a "soft" option, much better to make thieves repay what they have stolen, for other offenders a short sharp shock like 3 months detention as used to be, for all the bleeding hearts that don't agree, how many do they know who actually served it? i know quite a few n biggest percentage of em never went back, yes some carried on their career,but most are know ok, with families etc.

jaysay · 16-06-2008, 16:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by cashman

am not a fan of community orders, to me they are a "soft" option, much better to make thieves repay what they have stolen, for other offenders a short sharp shock like 3 months detention as used to be, for all the bleeding hearts that don't agree, how many do they know who actually served it? i know quite a few n biggest percentage of em never went back, yes some carried on their career,but most are know ok, with families etc.

I'm firmly in your camp cashy on this one, why start pussy footing about with these people, they keep saying jails are full, well build more and bigger ones, take away the TVs and Game Boys, Pool Tables, and make the punishment fit the crime, no more slaps on the rist

jambutty · 16-06-2008, 16:35

I’m a firm believer in “let the punishment fit the crime” but sadly this government prefers to waste money on illegal wars etc. rather than building and adequately staffing new prisons – and we need at least 5,000 new places. All without any social amenities until the prisoners EARN them.

But its not going to happen, at least not with this government and I doubt if the next one will address the issue as most of the public want.

The reality of the situation is that Community Orders are issued but currently abused. The object of this topic is how to prevent that abuse and make the punishment meaningful.

derekgas · 16-06-2008, 18:21

High viz poncy looking jackets could help, if they also tattood the crime onto thier forehead! Ok, Ok only joking, I think! Prison is too soft and criminals can cope easily, but community orders are laughable imo.

cashman · 16-06-2008, 21:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by jambutty

I’m a firm believer in “let the punishment fit the crime” but sadly this government prefers to waste money on illegal wars etc. rather than building and adequately staffing new prisons – and we need at least 5,000 new places. All without any social amenities until the prisoners EARN them.

The reality of the situation is that Community Orders are issued but currently abused. The object of this topic is how to prevent that abuse and make the punishment meaningful.

agree its the reality of the situation, but the reality is its certainly not the answer. you prevent abuse by scrapping it n putting in place summat more suitable is my view, a view i am entitled to give wether its your thread or anybodys.

jaysay · 17-06-2008, 09:41

Well it don't really matter what we think does it, nobody ever listens, we now have commisioners for everything, people good at talking but not at coming up with viable solutions. The fact of the matter is that since the dogooders took over the establishment, the tried and tested punishments have gone, is it any wonder that nobody gives stuff about whats happening to our society