Community Service Shambles.

20,000 convicted criminals a year are failing to stick to the terms of their community sentences according to the Freedom Of Information Act. A miniscule amount of these are being jailed.

Another 20,000 commit further offences - the vast majority of whom - again, are not jailed.

Yet good ole Ken Clarke and his ilk are demanding 'more community service'.

I am fully in favour of Community Service but have seen from the Bench how catastrophically it is managed.

Two points for those 'soft on crime':

1) All such disposals must have 'teeth' and the element of fear. Customarily, this should mean automatic imprisonment for ALL breaches and

2) The only criminals who can be rehabilitated are those who want to be reformed. For individuals who do not - the entire process is an utter waste of time.
If we add to these ideas the fact that prisons are generally quite 'comfortable' - you can see why so many criminals are not being turned into 'valuable members of society'.
If a society does not have a retributive element in its justice system - it loses the 'moral high ground'. Reform as the only objective is insufficient. Social disapproval must be expressed in concrete terms.