Message #3045

[EliB]

I'm have mixed views on this....

These youths TRIED to incite violence - and although that in itself is a criminal offence and SHOULD be dealt with severely (haha! think i'm forgetting what country I'm in - we haven't dealt with anything "severely" for decades!!!!!) I think 4 years imprisonment isn inappropriate! Rapists don't even get that for goodness sake and they didn't ACTUALLY perpetrate any violence! I wonder if any of those caught actually rioting will get anything approaching that kind of sentence.

The other problem is how the offending youth culture view Community Service. When I was at court when my dad got assaulted, waiting outside was a real eye-opener - youths coming out of court shouting "Community Service" and other assembled youths cheering like they'd got one over on the system...they don't see it as any kind of sentence, punishment, deterrant, ANYTHING! They see it as a RESULT!
Whilst I think prison should be for violent offenders ONLY (with appropriate sentences!!!) I also agree that the COmmunity Service theory needs over hauling...I think the US have the right idea - different coloured hi viz jackets with the crime labelled on the back. Humiliation? Yes - but that in itself might be a deterrent! Although the Human Rights wallas would have something to say.......although human rights of the "IP" are always conveniently forgotten!!!!!!!!!!!!