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Monday, December 01, 2008

Offenders to wear community vests


Offenders to wear community vests

Thousands of offenders in England and Wales are to wear high visibility vests while doing community service.

Ministers have ordered 10,000 orange bibs with "Community Payback" on the back identifying them to the public.

The government hopes the uniforms will increase confidence in community-based punishments which are seen by some as a soft option compared to prison.

But probation groups warn the vests could "increase the risk" of offenders becoming targets for attacks
.

In my view, this is nothing short of human branding. I support community service, however, this type of designed humiliation is counter productive.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why don't they have these kind of jackets for politicians... with LIAR or USELESS BUGGER stamped on the back?

2345 said...

Anonymous - 2:11 p.m.

Well said ... will Ed Balls be made to 'PAY BACK' the £136 m. of taxpayers money wasted on the aborted SATS fiasco ? Will Brown be made to 'PAY BACK' the funds raided from pensions ?

Anonymous said...

raising the profile of community service is a good thing, but this has the whiff of the chaingang about it. Why not fix a plaque at the end of every project instead, stating what was done?

jailhouselawyer said...

prisonguru: That's also my idea, either a notice or plaque following completion of the good work carried out by offenders.