Does community service work?
Does community service work? After a public vote, it's been decided that community service punishments in England and Wales should include clearing up rubbish, painting over graffiti and gardening. But does it really work as a punishment?
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Everyone seems to be missing the point, community service only works on people with some social responsiblity. If you do not work then one day out of your week is nothing to worry about, if you don't care what people think about you then there is no embarrassment factor. When I had to do it I hated it, I had to mix with people who belonged in prison, I lost my one free day per week, getting any shopping done or other jobs was very difficult, I had to pay £5 per day parking whilst I was there.
In comparison, a habitual criminal who was on the same detail as me would only turn up once every few weeks and all they would do is add another few hours to his community service which he would only turn up for if he felt like it. He wasn't atall bothered about the "punishment" and would regularly ridicule the whole system which he played like a game.
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Criminals in this country laugh at the pathetic so called law in this country. Lock them up, no playstations, no tvs just education and cleaning up the jail. As usual public opinion is ignored and the PC, bleeding heart brigade and that damned Human Rights Act have criminals walking the street laughing.
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I work as a volunter at a Charity Shop. We have community service workers and quite frankley its a doddle. In no way is this a punishment or deterrent.
They put in less effort than the volunters and we were never asked if we minded working with criminals.
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Why are criminal records kept secret? MPs details are now on the internet and their misdemeaners fully documented and available for public perusal. Why shouldn't I be able to look up the criminal record of someone?
The usual claim is that this puts them at risk of vigilante response, but that claim accuses AND finds the general public guilty of a crime they haven't committed, simply to protect the privacy of a convicted criminal.
The system is weighted in favour of criminals, and while it is, they will continue to prosper, as crime really does pay.
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