Borders justice favours criminals

Ally McGilvray 1606 - 1606 • Last updated 11 Dec 2008 10:58 0 Comments

CONVICTED criminals ordered to carry out community service in the Borders don"t pick up litter - because it would be 'soul-destroying'.

And, despite the success of pilot projects elsewhere, there are no plans to force them to wear bright orange jump suits… in case it draws attention to them.

The controversial comments were made by Scottish Borders Council"s criminal justice team leader Dorothy Keates during a talk at Galashiels and Langlee Community Council meeting last week.

She said: 'What good would it do? I think it"s (nothing more than) a publicity exercise.'

However, her comments have angered victims of crime who argued that if criminals can"t do the time they shouldn"t do the crime.

One told us: 'Has the world gone mad? It seems as if the justice system cares more about the criminals than it does their victims. Being murdered, raped and assaulted is pretty soul-destroying, I think.

'Picking up litter is not meant to be fun and games. It is a punishment and they should get on with it.'

And they added: 'Seeing them in bright suits give the public reassurance that the justice system is working and that convicts are paying for their crimes.'

Courts impose community service as a direct alternative to prison, which are overcrowded and critics say don"t work.

The local criminal justice team has been involved in a number of projects throughout the Borders - including building a new staircase through Solway Woods in Tweedbank and nature walkways in the Ettrick Valley.

However, the meeting also heard that some criminals fritter away their hours of community service by travelling to jobs and even watching TV in some areas.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'Community sentences play a vital part in ensuring offenders pay back to the community they hurt and also in tackling the persistently high re-offending rates.

'The independent Prisons Commission which reported in the summer agreed locking up low level offenders for very short sentences did nothing to address the persistently high re-offending rates. It recommended a number of ways to build confidence in community penalties and we will respond to that before the end of the year.

'But we are clear - community sentences must be immediate, visible and relevant to the community involved. This does not mean that those carrying them out need to be identified in any particular way but the work chosen should be done so in agreement with and for the benefit of the community.'

amcgilvray@bordertelegraph.com

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This article appeared in Border Telegraph 11 Dec 08

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