ASBO's - The answer to nothing

I admit it, I'm a lazy sod. I hadn't really bothered to think it through before writing my blog about the ASBO kid with ADHD. Had I not been such a slob and considered the matter properly, I would have raised the main, fundamental point which I completely missed. The point is that I think ASBO's are a disgrace. All they are is a sticking plaster policy, something which the authorities can do when they can't accept the fact that our current society has no coherent policy for dealing with persistent offenders. Most of the people who receive ASBO's are troubled youngsters. The vast majority of them don't come from stable home backgrounds. Many have issues with drink and drugs. For the vast majority, all the ASBO does is make them cause trouble somewhere else. For me that is not enough. I think that in a civilised society we are morally bound to try and help them move away from a lifestyle of anti social behaviour. The ASBO is a stick. Where is the carrot?

I believe that senior policemen, social workers, prison governors and everyone else involved with the rehabilitation of such people should have salaries where a significant proportion of their salary is based on the reoffending rates of the young people they deal with. I don't believe in being soft on offenders, but I do believe that rehabilitation is part of the process. If all prison does is keep people off the streets till their sentance is spent, whilst equipping them with even better crime skills, it is a failure. ASBO's must contain an element of carrot as well as stick. I believe in making the punishment fit the crime. If someone gets done for graffiti, make them clean it off as part of their ASBO. If they cause trouble, make them do community service which in some we addresses the problems they caused. If they have issues with drugs, give them counselling and offer them rehab, in return for eventual easing of restrictions. Educate them as to the damage they are doing themselves. Offer them ways back into education. Many prisoners are illiterate. Make addressing this issue a priority for prison governors.

I would give offenders who don't play ball longer sentences and harsher regimes. If people decide to "conform", ease the conditions off. If they persistently reoffend, raise the bar for parole. I would take care to try and separate hardened offenders from first timers within the prison service. As for ASBO's , rather than banning people from areas, I'd compel them to take college courses or learn skills.If they don't want to, send them to prison. I believe that there is a huge imbalance in the system. We lock up some people for far too long, whilst freeing others who we should throw away the key for. If the people with responsibility for these people got less wonga if the people in there charge reoffended, they might actually take the issue of getting them out of crime seriously.

Am I glad my Mum died?

A year ago last week my dear old Mum died aged 83. She was racked with pain from Osteo-arthritis, she'd nearly gone blind, she was deaf. She could only walk a few yards following a stroke. She couldn't talk properly as she suffered from jargon dysphasia. She'd had several operations to alleviate spinal pain caused by a crumbling spine. She required help getting up, had meals on wheels for lunch and a dinner supplied by us or one of my sisters. One of my Sisters stayed with her three days a week, putting her own life on hold. Another one delayed plans to move from Edgware. She wasn't easy, she was completely unreasonable much of the time. Once her eyesight failed she had one pleasure in life - boozing. She'd share a guinness with me every night & then I'd pour her a large scotch for her bedside table.

I was in LA when I got the call to say she'd had a massive stroke and died. It was unexpected. How did I feel? I was devastated. I miss her like hell. Sure she was cranky as hell. She lead my sisters a merry dance, but why shouldn't she? She never lost her marbles & was as sharp as a button when it mattered. She hated how she'd become and regularly asked my big brother if she could borrow his shotgun to end it all. We knew she didn't mean it. She'd fought all manner of diseases and won, Diptheria, Cancer, Strokes, Ulcers, Pneumonia, and a few other I've forgotten. She had six children & a full life. My sister told me that she thought that when my mother realised the time had finally come to depart, she seemed more surprised than anything else.

So with all her problems and suffering was I pleased that her suffering ended? Well I thought I wasn't, the I read this article in the Edgware Times. Mikal Raven (aka Brian James Sweeney) aged 38, robbed, sexually assaulted and murdered 60 year old Sylvia Wilson. The judge said that he was more motivated by sadistic pleasure than greed and sentanced him to a minimum of 18 years. That means that he'll only be 56 when he's released. How would I felt if a 56 year old monster such as him had moved in next to my mum. I can sleep soundly at night knowing she's in a better place. How many people such as me will wake up to find that a monster such as Sweeney has defiled there elderly mothers. I read the story and was, for the first time, rather pleased she's not here.

People such as Sweeney have given up the right to mercy and clemency. When should they be released? When they pose no conceivable threat to vulnerable old dear such as Mrs Wilson or my mum. Generally that means they'd leave in a box. I'm sorry to say that I wouldn't want to take the chance with my mum when she was alive. I wouldn't want to take the chance with yours either. Scumbags such as Sweeney deserve no second chance, end of story. If they ever are truly repentant, they'd willingly serve their time out. If they are not, then they don't deserve to be released.

If you can't do the time, don't do the crime

Forgive me for saying I'm not exactly overjoyed that Christine Orobator is being returned to Britain from Laos. She escaped the death penalty for heroin trafficing because she'd been raped in custody and was pregnant. She's been returned to the UK to give birth and serve out her sentence. I don't condone the raping of prisoners, but she did the crime for one reason, to make money. I believe in the "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" philosophy, which is why I get so annoyed when people move to this country and then complain about our laws and social conventions.

As to Ms Orobator. She escaped the death penalty. Many heroin addicts don't. Many old ladies will be robbed to pay for them to kill themselves. Many families will be destroyed by people using the product she was trying to import. Did she give a stuff about their suffering? No, she's a greedy selfish woman. As such she is only worthy of contempt and loathing.

Oh and I don't believe that being soft on criminals is a left wing thing at all. In communist China she'd have been executed (not that I'm for the death penalty, just harsh sentencing for merchants of misery).

Why is it that when these scumbags get caught abroad, suddenly people feel sorry for them?