Pressure

Coppersblog has already reported on this story, whereby social rights groups have condemned the wearing of hi-vis vests by offenders doing community service.

Personally I think it's outrageous that offenders are made to do community service at all, and much prefer the way sentences are enforced in Blandmore Magistrates Court. There, magistrates take a three-step approach to curing naughty people of their naughtinesses:

1. Start out on the basis that the crime they have committed warrants only a custodial sentence, but instead give out a community order.
2. When the offender fails to carry out the community order, tell them they really must try a little wittle bit harder to do it.
3. After 12 months of trying to persuade the offender to do the work, accept that a community sentence is not working and exchange it for an absolute discharge.
   

It is this sensitive approach that has boosted the confidence of several troubled souls in Blandmore: namely Ryan who now thinks nothing of screaming abuse at his teachers mid-class, Kellee who tells the police to fuck off as a pastime on a Friday night, and Lee who is so immune to social embarrassment that he bravely shouts over all customers in his local minimart whilst waving a replica handgun around and making off with the cash.

If these poor mites felt degraded and humiliated in front of their peer groups, how could they possibly have the poise and charisma to behave like this?

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