A report out this week confirms what many people already knew, that the credibility of Community Sentences and Suspended Sentence Orders were laughable.
In a study which involved giving interviewees a £20 M&S voucher, which about summed it all up, around 25 Probation Officers and 16 Offenders were interviewed. The consensus was that offenders regularly left courts laughing and going back to tell their mates about their pathetic sentences and re-offend while Probation Officers think they are sending out the wrong message.
Soft Law - Hard Law
While many motorists who have unblemished records on insurance are targeted for speeding 10% above the limits and parkers who steal an extra few minutes are ruthlessly hounded for their offences by officers and modern technology, real criminals are actually set free under these useless schemes. Suspended Sentence Orders are particularly useless as they don't even carry a penalty if the offender re-offends as is often the case - they just get a further warning. The Community Sentences are pathetic as they just get to do some hours low-level community service and remain at large.
As so often in Britain, law abiding citizens who do not steal, cause damage or behave anti-socially are the people who are targeted by police in different ways because they are the people who will pay up without question, on time. Those who are real criminals have a habit of avoiding paying. So police methods, investment and resources are skewed toward this easy money collection to balance the books and away from preventing and solving real crime and bringing hardened criminals to justice to receive penalties which should deter them from repeat offences.
It's all part of the daft target system that the Government runs in the Public Sector - it's all about figures to prove points.
It is way too easy to get a fine for a small motoring offence like parking 2 minutes extra while a person who wilfully causes damage, steals or hurts another individual or their property will get a tiny, stupid sentence if at all.
In a study which involved giving interviewees a £20 M&S voucher, which about summed it all up, around 25 Probation Officers and 16 Offenders were interviewed. The consensus was that offenders regularly left courts laughing and going back to tell their mates about their pathetic sentences and re-offend while Probation Officers think they are sending out the wrong message.
Soft Law - Hard Law
While many motorists who have unblemished records on insurance are targeted for speeding 10% above the limits and parkers who steal an extra few minutes are ruthlessly hounded for their offences by officers and modern technology, real criminals are actually set free under these useless schemes. Suspended Sentence Orders are particularly useless as they don't even carry a penalty if the offender re-offends as is often the case - they just get a further warning. The Community Sentences are pathetic as they just get to do some hours low-level community service and remain at large.
As so often in Britain, law abiding citizens who do not steal, cause damage or behave anti-socially are the people who are targeted by police in different ways because they are the people who will pay up without question, on time. Those who are real criminals have a habit of avoiding paying. So police methods, investment and resources are skewed toward this easy money collection to balance the books and away from preventing and solving real crime and bringing hardened criminals to justice to receive penalties which should deter them from repeat offences.
It's all part of the daft target system that the Government runs in the Public Sector - it's all about figures to prove points.
It is way too easy to get a fine for a small motoring offence like parking 2 minutes extra while a person who wilfully causes damage, steals or hurts another individual or their property will get a tiny, stupid sentence if at all.
But that's this Government and modern Britain for you. Crime pays nicely for some.
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