An old 'favourite' of this Blog - the egregious Ken Clarke - has emerged from wherever he has been skulking since his last faux pas in order to make a pronouncement about community punishments.(Please note his 'extra tough face' in the photo for added confirmation.)
Sorry - it just ain't gonna happen and here's why:
1) He is a total wet who doesn't want to get tougher.
2) He is not interested in justice - whatever his title.
3) The system can only be made effective if all breaches result in instant custody. (I have chaired such courts for entire sessions without ever coming near to being able to jail anybody - and it was certainly not a lack of will from me or my colleagues!)
4) The highly leftist Probation Service is pro-offender rather than pro-society and must never be trusted to oversee these projects.
Regular readers may be surprised to learn that in theory, I consider work orders to be a most valuable tool in the fight against crime. Nonetheless, the way we operate them in this country is only one step above useless.
