For immediate release:

Conclusive evidence community service not working

Shocking new figures from the U K show that nearly 400 criminals every week commit further crimes while doing community service.

And the Sensible Sentencing Trust is asking is the same happening here in New Zealand.

Trust Spokesman Garth McVicar said figures from the U K show that 20,000 offenders who were spared jail and given a community sentence instead committed further crime.

“With figures released here at home [N Z] showing nearly 70,000 bail breaches every year I would not be at all surprised if the figures for community service shows an equally dismal outcome.”

“With the recent big push for the Courts to use community service instead of sending criminals to prison we will be very interested to discover if the theory around community sentences is a total disaster.”

“We have been assured that community service is not a soft option but the UK evidence indicates that’s exactly what it is, and not only that it is also creating thousands more victims.”

Mr. Mcvicar said the Sensible Sentencing Trust would start accumulating evidence to ascertain the success or failure of community service.

“Based on the U K experience with one in four criminals reoffending I can’t help but suspect that community service here in New Zealand has simply created more victims – and allowed the criminals to give the finger to the leniency bestowed on them.” ENDS

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2191195/More-20-000-spared-jail-reoffend-Alarming-figures-prove-community-service-isnt-working.html#ixzz249krTXCv

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