Prison: A Smokescreen For Society’s Failings?
As with everything on Young Newport, this article represents the views of the author and not necessarily those of Young Newport.
The recent riots across the UK has seen many individuals go through the judicial system, but is the current system fair and is the punishment proportionate to the crime?
The Conservative-led UK Government feels the need to promote heavy sentencing for those caught participating in any of the riots, whether looting, causing damage or both.
MPs that committed fraud in the expense scandal last year and took thousands from the tax-payer were given around four months in prison. Yet many who partook in the riots face doing a similar time inside as those MPs, even though the value of the goods they looted was a lot less than the amounts MPs were stole. Such a caparison shows what a joke the justice system is currently. Here are a few more examples of the many ludicrous comparisons:
- 0-5 months - Individual handling stolen goods/known celebrity crashing his car while on cannabis
- 5-12 months - Individual stealing gum/person claiming £11,000 of dead mum’s pension
- 1-2 years - Individual attempting to steal cigarettes/person attempting to groom young girl online
- 4 years – two lads “inciting violence" on social networks/person involved in heroin dealing and playing part in £10 million operation
Is our justice system fair and suitable for our needs? Or is it an easy answer, dodging the blame and covering up the real reasons that led up to the riots? One thing it is is exceedingly expensive to tax-payers a waste of time for courts and prisons. It also acts as a quick release for government where anger is directed away from them and towards the “thugs”.
The Police and Government had asked parents in England if they know where their children were. The answer was no. It must be noted that some parents feel they don't have any authority any more as they fear being done for breaking human rights laws for smacking them or punishing them. The point is that many parents of those participating have more than one job to keep them and their family above the breadline and thus would not be able to watch over their children as they are attempting to provide for them.
Prison is normally for those whose crime is deemed unacceptable to society and whose continued freedom may cause further harm. This should mean murderers, rapists, serious and organised criminals, and fraudsters are locked in prison or young offender institutes. However prisons should not be used as quick solutions for a Government heavily swayed by knee-jerk public opinion. No matter the crime or the person accused each are and should be equal in the eyes of the law. This is not normally the case as someone guilty of a white collar crime is normally given a slap on the wrist while “social degenerates/undesirables” are locked away. Prison should be the very last option once all other avenues are exhausted, yet it is often seen as the easiest and only option in most circumstances, which makes the situation worse for the individual and consequently to society.
A sense of belonging is something every person needs to feel in one capacity or another; if society cannot provide it, an individual attempts to find a sense of identity and belonging elsewhere so as to feel safe and to be part of something. More times than not, this means gangs and/or prison, where the revolving door syndrome kicks in and where rehabilitation becomes useless. Major cuts or total withdrawal of funding has led to a worsening of the situation as there is nothing for young people to do, no provisions, suitable education or even jobs for them to enter in order to better themselves.
Drug use and drug dealing are usually more widespread in socially disadvantaged areas than in more affluent areas of towns or cities. Gangs are normally centred on the supply of drugs. Violence involving other gangs usually involves territory or areas for selling drugs. When those caught with drugs face prison, they also attend drug awareness sessions which are highly useless as by then they would have already experienced much of what the drugs do. What they really need is the right support and facilities to get away from drugs and help them make a fresh start rather than condemning them at first sight.
The current UK Government is blatantly out-of-tune with the real issues affecting the people; they seem to be avoiding answering the underlying problems. Many young people have no aspirations and are faced with a heavily materialistic society, if they cannot get the items they so desire through legitimate means they look to looting and/or organised crime in order to keep up with the trends.
Rehabilitation as it stands does not work or benefit the individual or society; it fails in what it sets out to do, it fails the young people and adults that go through it and it fails to provide the individual with the skills to find their feet again. The lack of work is a major issue as many places refuse to employ those with a criminal record. Yet the Prime Minister’s own aid and close friend, Andy Coulson, was found to be at the centre of the phone hacking scandal. The Prime Minister argued in support of his close friend “I believe he deserved a second chance” but don’t the people being failed by David Cameron and his Government, also deserve one?
David Cameron and his ministers have stated that they aim to remove individuals caught participating in the riots of their homes and of any state benefits they receive. What planet are they on? Do they not realise that this only perpetuates the problem? Obviously not as they are too busy attempting to impress the general public with the heavy veneer that they are being strong in tackling crime. It is scary to think that Prince Charles understands the people more than the Government.
Unless the Government faces up and addresses how they will deal with the underlining issues, this will only be the start of the riots. With more cuts planned over the years to come the situation looks bleak. The Government needs to think again, strongly, how their cuts will affect communities while the justice system needs a serious rethink of its aims, how it works and how it goes about accomplishing them.
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