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Beat me up! Get free training!

Thursday, 14th February 2008

I have a piece in today's Times on the scheme I referred to last week. Here's an extract:

What a genius idea: break the law and get free job training. That's not punishment; it's a reward. But then much of the criminal justice system long ago stopped being about justice and started being about the criminal.
On Saturday my front tyre was slashed. I had parked a few paces from a newsagent and was walking along the street when a gang of young thugs walked up to me. “Buy us some fags,” they demanded. I ignored them. “Buy us fags,” they repeated with an increased air of menace. I ignored them again and walked into the shop. By the time I had come out, they had disappeared, leaving a parting gift of a slashed front tyre.

I haven't reported it to the police. What's the point? The police can't even be bothered to deal with assaults. In my previous experiences as a victim of crime - two minor assaults - the police did precisely nothing, not even stirring themselves to follow up the incidents with me. They'll probably simply laugh if I report a punctured tyre.

Even if this time they do their job and track down the tyre slashers, the only punishment the thugs would receive is a slapped wrist.

Oops. I forgot. Punishment isn't appropriate. The poor dears are doubtless demotivated and need to have their self-esteem boosted. It should come as no surprise that, at the end of the Skills Builder course, the participants are applauded as they receive their certificates.
Welcome to British criminal justice in the 21st century. Commit a crime, be put on a training course, and then be applauded.

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Jennie

February 14th, 2008 11:59am

I don't think that you need to worry about criminals receiving quality skills training to enable them to gain well-paid jobs and get off the streets. There was a piece on BBC News 24 last week about the Derbyshire scheme. The 'course' consists of little more than providing information about alcohol units and how to write a CV. The boys interviewed said that they didn't think that the scheme would help them to get jobs - but it beat being out in the cold gardening. So, untrained, unemployed, aimless yobs will continue to have nothing to do with their time but commit crime.