Community service

I heard on the radio today about a new idea regarding community service. Instead of the judge, law enforcement or the criminal deciding what the community service will be, the notion is that local people will decide what they will do. I think it's a good idea. Apparently theres's a website where local contributors can post jobs that need doing that will benefit the community. And the tasks are assigned to low level criminals. Can't think of a link and I can't remember the website but any thoughts ??

WormThatTurned wrote:

I heard on the radio today about a new idea regarding community service. Instead of the judge, law enforcement or the criminal deciding what the community service will be, the notion is that local people will decide what they will do. I think it's a good idea. Apparently theres's a website where local contributors can post jobs that need doing that will benefit the community. And the tasks are assigned to low level criminals. Can't think of a link and I can't remember the website but any thoughts ??

Sounds a good idea.

Only if the community isn't deciding specific peoples fate, rather suggeting a 'pool' of tasks for convicted people to do.

They should have to clean up after animals like that poor aupair on C4 last night. Now thats slave labour.

lol, thats working in childcare for you!!!!

drewboy wrote:

Only if the community isn't deciding specific peoples fate, rather than suggeting a 'pool' of tasks for convicted people to do.

Agreed - shouldn't be a case of everyone knowing the details of a certain case, then suggesting a corresponding punishment. Should be that people put forward what needs doing, and then the court decides which one is most appropriate, according to hours of manual-service, etc.

It was just that - 'a pool of tasks'. Nothing specific.

I think it's a great idea.

Yeah, me too - sounds really good, if it works.

We hada gang of them working nearbye doing hard labour on abuilding site.But the thing was is they never had 'convicts' slapped on their saftey jacket and they werent being paid. What it looked lik to me was a cheap labor scam! Thwe humilation coming from not being paid.

it's not cheap labour - it's the idea of something positive coming from something negative. They're hardly gonna pay them for doing community service - it's not a job, after all.

Not sure if it is cheap labour or not as that would depend on the cost to the tax payer of administering the scheme offset against the value to the community of the work done, longer term if it stopped someone offending again then the benefit is a lot better which reduces the cost.

My point is they were learning nothing ,other than a contractor was getting cheap labor..

The local residents would be directly benefitting and low level criminals would be benefitting too because they would be avoiding jail.

Ziggy! wrote:

My point is they were learning nothing ,other than a contractor was getting cheap labor..

Learning a darn sight more than being banged up in a cell for 23 hours a day.

Ziggy! wrote:

My point is they were learning nothing ,other than a contractor was getting cheap labor..

Are you saying that community service is no good then, Phil?

That hard graft on a building site will no more teach someone a lesson that picking up litter or whatever other punishments are given out as part of community service?

Get them filling sandbags!

Even better have them dress in huge spongebob squarepants outfits and act as a human barrier soaking up the floods.

Ziggy! wrote:

Get them filling sandbags!

I'm not accepting that as an answer to my question, Phil.

The Sponge Bob thing sounds rather deviant:<

Is Aaron the Big Brother Charley of this particular website.lol

Ziggy! wrote:

My point is they were learning nothing ,other than a contractor was getting cheap labor..

I don't think that's true anyway. On community orders, 20% of your hours can go towards training / qualifications. So you might spend 80% of the time painting a shed, but you can spend the other 20% learning to become a plumber or such like. They're quite flexible.

With the news that a school kid that was climbing over the fence of his old school to rob it was awarded £5700 pounds compo when he implaed himself I suspect the community service orders are limited and somewhat safety concious, and so therefore limited..

Ciao's Favourite Member wrote:

Are you saying that community service is no good then, Phil?

That hard graft on a building site will no more teach someone a lesson that
picking up litter or whatever other punishments are given out as part of community service?

Answer the question, Phil.

Ziggy! wrote:

Is Aaron the Big Brother Charley of this particular website.lol

I dunno who this Charley bloke is, but are you the Jade Goody?

Ziggy! wrote:

With the news that a school kid that was climbing over the fence of his old school to rob it was awarded £5700 pounds compo when he implaed himself I suspect the community service orders are limited and somewhat safety concious, and so therefore limited..

What on EARTH has that got to do with anything???