Community unsentenced

A while ago I posted about how community sentences properly enforced could and should be a viable alternative to jail.

Unfortunately, articles like this are the reason these sentences are treated with understandable contempt. Which until this is sorted out, I have got to admit I find community sentences a washout. I wish I didn't, but I do.

And Jacqui Smith blabbering on this morning on GMTV about how Labour are so much tougher on crime. How she can say that with a straight face is beyond me.

Downhill all the way

The Sun is following Gadget and others lead in decrying Britain as a descending into anarchy as feral youths roam the streets looking for innocent people to randomly assault and murder, etc etc.

Whilst I would take any appeal by the Sun with more than a pinch of salt I have got to agree with their letter writer who derides politicians as doing little more than giving sad eyes and soundbites. Couldn't have put that better myself. Whilst I would normally avoid the Daily Wail like I'd avoid the back end of a cow with digestive problems, I did enjoy their dig at Jacqui "one doesn't mind popping out for a kebab with my own personal armed policeman" Smith.

So what do I think? I've talked before about prisons. My opinion hasn't changed much- Prisons only work in the sense of whilst someone is inside they can't commit futher offences (except against other inmates and the occasional warden.) However, the populist press can not let go of the Victorian idea of that if someone has done something wrong they must be punished, and that the only way to properly punish someone is go to jail. "Community" sentences are derided as soft.

I'd disagree. Prison costs a fortune and rarely provides any rehabilative capability. For those who were sent to jail with a job and rented accomodation, they will rarely have either when released but services to deal with rehousing offenders are overstretched beyond any capacity to deal with any effective number.

I'd agree community sentences are ineffective but thats mostly because the services to monitor these sentences are again underresourced and overstretched and people frequently get away with avoiding them. I have yet to confirm the story I heard that one person appealed his community sentence of clearing rubbish as degrading, and under the human rights act some judge or other was compelled to agree and changed his sentence.

Properly funded and monitored community sentences, with the threat of a non-playstation equipped jail as a motive for compliance, where persons keep their jobs or studies going but losing their spare time to something beneficial to a local area- something like clearing litter, clearing graffiti, whatever- would be better for the minor offences rather than clamouring to throw everyone in jail.

The nasty unprovoked beatings like what Nicolas Hague showed himself capable of- our prisons are frankly too good for him. We should have a prison sharing agreement with Estonia (apologies to any Estonians, I have no idea what their jails are like, but you get my drift).

One thing which certainly doesn't work is the youth justice system. This whole situation is so spectacularly ineffective I simply have no idea where or how to start even thinking about where it has all gone wrong. But the end result at the moment is young adults have a system where everything is geared towards bending backwards for them- we're not even allowed to wear our belt kit into youth court in case the little darlings find it too "oppressive". Tell that to the victim of their knifepoint robbery. They have absolutely no respect for authority - i.e. us, courts etc- because they don't need to. Some little burgling so-and-so I arrested after he crashed the car (after pursuing him, ha ha) he had stolen from the burglary he did 2 hours managed to persuade the judge big nasty evil bully men were making him steal these things despite not providing one hint of a name or evidence, and so got acquitted on the burglary charge! He only got convicted for driving offences! Nuts.

Despite what the government believes and will probably do, no amount of target setting for getting youths into court within 2 days or new proposed legislation will make any difference. Not while we have parents who instead of giving their offspring a bollocking for shoplifting, give them a bollocking for being stupid enough to get caught by the police. Yes, I witnessed this myself. I was actually speechless, and had to leave swiftly before my mouth caught up with what my brain was thinking. Not while we have a culture that encourages all disputes have to be sorted out by someone else, because no-one wants to take on any responsibility on themselves- it is always someone else's fault.

And in the meantime politicians continue waffling out the soundbites, and people seem to accept them, despite it being proved time and again they are at best half truths and occasional outright lies.

It winds me up when I read about the stories like Gary Newlove. I get fed up with the lack of balls (apologies to Bloggs) from anyone in a position to do anything about it apart from order yet another inquiry.

I just get back up at a stupid time in the morning, and go back to work and do the best I can with the rules I've got.

Knee Jerk

Again I don't have the greatest amount of time, and am only skimming over the whole issue. But am I the only one who thinks that the government's response to the media furore over gun crime- i.e. reducing age where you recieve a mandatory 5 year sentence to 17- is little better than a knee jerk reaction, designed to please the crowd and completely fails to address the source of the problem?

You see, taking time to examine and address social deprivation, the lack of suitable role models, the lack of suitable diversion activity etc etc would take time and results wouldn't be seen until well after the next election, so no point in that says Mr Politician.

So lets just do something that seems "tough on crime", keeps the Daily Mail happy but in reality is likely to have little to no positive effect? It's not as though possessing a gun isn't already illegal, with a possible 10yr sentence available to judges. Going back to the whole prisons debate, how really is sending a 17 year old down for a minimum of 5 years (meaning likely: further education- nil. Job prospects- nil. Angriness at authority- maximum) going to help in the long term? The only argument in favour of reducing the minumum age for mandatory sentencing is "deterrent". What a pile of politico-turd. If anything, that's only going to increase the kudos of having a gun, and increase the likelihood of using it against police in order to escape.

Prisons, Prisons

This is an emotive subject. It isn't something I should really be writing about having not had enough sleep and being up late, but there we go.

Anyone who doesn't have their head in a bucket will notice the furore going on about prison overcrowding. I don't really want to talk about that.

I am more interested in the issue of whether prison works in the first place. Extra Special is also running a series on Jails.

The popular and tabloid press seem to consistently overlook this rather fundamental question. The Sun simply calls for more prisons, disused army camps, ships, anything with a metal door and a lock to be used as a prison "to lock these dangerous people away". I can't bear to make myself trawl through the daily mail online to see what they have to say.

In my humble, lowly opinion, prison is effective. In one respect. It takes a convicted offender out of the circulation of the public.

It seems to me that the popular clamour for people to be sent down is short sighted. People just want people to be punished, and locking them up is a punishment. Yes, correct.

But my concern with prison is that it can cause more problems than it solves. Someone in prison cannot work. If they had a job, then they'd lose it. If they had a flat, then they'd lose it. I've read too many reports of how when a sentence is finished then they are simply escorted to the front gates and abandoned. How can this be a strategy to reduce reoffending?

A while ago the Guardian ran a thought provoking insight into the sheer ineffictiveness of just throwing people in prison without much thought beyond satisfying political populism. For those of you with the time, read this article. I have to admit I was of the point of view of "throw people in prison, they shouldn't have committed crime in the first place should they". Reading this article made me realise I was blinkered and short sighted.

I've said before the government often seems embarrassed to admit they need a police force. They are even more embarrassed to admit they need a prison service. There has been a chronic lack of funding and direction from the government for years regarding prisons- (NB- does anyone know of any prison officer blogs?)

I would love to see properly enforced probation and community service. But they again have had so little funding scum types can get away with ignoring these sentences and laughing at them, which only goes to fuel media hype deriding them.

I don't quite know what my point is here. I'm quite aware this post isn't exactly a cohesive argument. I think its to counter the stereotype I have been on recieving end of over the last day or so with this overcrowding malarkey, namely that people think I'm in the police and therefore I must want to throw everyone in jail.

No, I don't. I'd much rather not be in the position where I have to consider that in the first place. Unfortunately, the prison service in its current state does not help reduce reoffending rates, and in many cases almost leaves it inevitable. And no, I don't always think a custodial sentence is the best thing.

Before I get criticised- don't anyone think for a minute that I think serious crime should be dealt with by community service etc. Paedophiles, stranger rapists etc- I want one of them living near me and my family as much as any of you. Which is not at all.

My head is swimming. Hopefully (I daren't read through this post, it is bound to have terrible grammar and ropey spelling) I've put across some views about prison and what happens when people leave prison. I want to open up the floor. When you've sat and thought about it, leave a comment. I'm going to be busy for the next few days, so give me something to think about.

I am definitely heading off to bed now. Goodnight all.

An update after a decent night's sleep: A couple of links for you all to look at: Smart Justice and Prison Reform. Another day, I shall post something a bit more comprehensive about prison. But I have to admit at the moment I am struggling to motivate myself to write on here. I can't do what I really want to do on here, which is let the blog be my catharsis for the worst jobs and most frustrating bits of beauracracy that drive me mad. If I do that, every time I post "emotionally" soon after said event, the chances of my being found out increase. I heard my colleaugues talk about police blogs they look at the other day and I swear my internal temperature shot up about 5 degrees. So I know they look at these, and so I daren't post about things that they might recognise. So........... I'm not sure what direction I'm heading with this blog. Maybe I need a bit of time to let it lie still and let me reflect.