I read the Probation Circular 53/2001 with some concern, that in
four pilot areas, Derbyshire, Hertfordshire, Teeside and West
Midlands, offenders on benefit who reoffend will have their
benefit reduced for four weeks. As I read it, it will not be for
probation to decide how much this will be by, and I presume
conversely that probation will not be able to influence the amount
either. It could be 20-40% of income support. We can be relieved
that there are no current plans to extend this to 26 weeks. Will
this be taken into account by sentencers? It feels very
discriminatory to me, especially for those who may be on (also
low) wages and not subject to this sanction. How will the Courts
reflect this in any fines they may impose? It strikes me as a
measure even the Tories would not have dared impose? Have
penal policies from the two parties crossed over and what is the
difference between them?
This innovation will be assessed, presumeably if found not to
damage offenders, we can expect to see benefit reduced across
the board as it must be too generous. This is a logical
consequence of evidence based practice that locates all the
problems within the faulty conditioning of the offender and does
not consider other - dare I use the perjorative word - issues like
welfare considerations. This is not an attack on evidence based
practice, but a concern that offenders have a greater degree of
complexity to their lives than that acknowledged by an approach
that seeks to use computer generated risk assessments and fixed
programmes in a social vacuum.
Tony Goodman
Dr Tony Goodman
Middlesex University
School of Social Science
Queensway
Enfield
EN3 4SF
Middlesex
England
U.K.
Telephone +44 (0)208 362 5568
Fax +44 (0)208 362 5425
EMail [log in to unmask]
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