Thursday, November 02, 2006
"Arise Sir Crote, I invest you with the order of the ASBO"
The Times reports here on the runaway success of the ASBO (Anti Social Behaviour Order) criticised by many right wingers on their introduction (due to the low evidence threshold required to receive one and the fact that they are pointless as they carry no effective sanction for their breach) these are proving exceedingly popular with young people. Specifically yobs.
Apparently there's been a "study" by the Youth Justice Board (no doubt more a cardboard than a hardboard and one which could be abolished without anyone noticing). It will come as no surprise that the government-funded (sorry taxpayer-funded) board fully endorses ASBOs and says how good they are. Of course any problems (like all socialist problems) are due to incorrect implementation; Rod Morgan chairman of the board said: "They can — and do — work incredibly well. ... But for ASBOs to reduce the likelihood of future antisocial behaviour, they need to be used correctly. That means exhausting every preventive measure in the community first, and ensuring that youth offending teams are not excluded from issuing the orders." Don't ask me what he means; it looks like he's passing the buck, but now I'm sure it should be Youth Justice Bored.
This seems somewhat different to some of the evidence given to the board, from the article:
"One magistrate told the board: “It’s being used as a badge of honour.”"
"Parents and carers of young people handed the orders said that they were viewed as a “diploma” and boosted a child’s “street cred” because “villains are often looked up to”."
"A district judge told researchers that young people who breached their orders were often not being properly punished. “The danger is that you would increase the (prison) population enormously if we . . . enforced ASBOs fully,” the judge said."
"Many youth workers and some judges and magistrates have serious reservations about ASBOs. They believe that they are being overused because they require a lower level of evidence than bringing a full prosecution in court"
So good to see none of those pre-introduction criticisms of the ASBO have come true then. Crazy these right wingers.
Even though 90% of ASBOs are given to males, no one seems to have commented on what must be disgraceful inbuilt institutional sexism. Why should females be excluded from this honour? Women stand up for your rights demand an ASBO NOW!
Michael aged 12 the lucky recipient of an ASBO said: "I don’t mind not carrying lighters but I was bothered about not being able to go to school because it was in the exclusion zone". Quite right too! What's the point in having an ASBO if you can't take it to school and show it to your pals?
Apparently there's been a "study" by the Youth Justice Board (no doubt more a cardboard than a hardboard and one which could be abolished without anyone noticing). It will come as no surprise that the government-funded (sorry taxpayer-funded) board fully endorses ASBOs and says how good they are. Of course any problems (like all socialist problems) are due to incorrect implementation; Rod Morgan chairman of the board said: "They can — and do — work incredibly well. ... But for ASBOs to reduce the likelihood of future antisocial behaviour, they need to be used correctly. That means exhausting every preventive measure in the community first, and ensuring that youth offending teams are not excluded from issuing the orders." Don't ask me what he means; it looks like he's passing the buck, but now I'm sure it should be Youth Justice Bored.
This seems somewhat different to some of the evidence given to the board, from the article:
"One magistrate told the board: “It’s being used as a badge of honour.”"
"Parents and carers of young people handed the orders said that they were viewed as a “diploma” and boosted a child’s “street cred” because “villains are often looked up to”."
"A district judge told researchers that young people who breached their orders were often not being properly punished. “The danger is that you would increase the (prison) population enormously if we . . . enforced ASBOs fully,” the judge said."
"Many youth workers and some judges and magistrates have serious reservations about ASBOs. They believe that they are being overused because they require a lower level of evidence than bringing a full prosecution in court"
So good to see none of those pre-introduction criticisms of the ASBO have come true then. Crazy these right wingers.
Even though 90% of ASBOs are given to males, no one seems to have commented on what must be disgraceful inbuilt institutional sexism. Why should females be excluded from this honour? Women stand up for your rights demand an ASBO NOW!
Michael aged 12 the lucky recipient of an ASBO said: "I don’t mind not carrying lighters but I was bothered about not being able to go to school because it was in the exclusion zone". Quite right too! What's the point in having an ASBO if you can't take it to school and show it to your pals?
