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Teenagers blame cushy prisons for crime rise
Benedict Moore-Bridger14.11.08
TEENAGERS in London blame "weak" prisons, boredom and a lack of youth facilities for escalating knife violence, it emerged today.
Youths across the city said jail was not a deterrent and called on Mayor Boris Johnson to introduce more social clubs and facilities.
The insight is in an online film featuring interviews with 1,000 young people who were asked how life in the capital could be improved.
It was released as three men were charged with murdering 19-year-old Nabil Bakurally in Ilford last Saturday. He was the 28th teenager to die violently in London this year.
Among those interviewed for the "Reel Change" project was Kashelle, 17, who has recently been released from jail. She said: "Prison does not work. I have been in numerous times and it shortens your temper - it does not make you better. They need to send people to a boot camp, not prison. You still get luxuries in prison. You are not meant to be getting luxuries for committing crime.
"We should get some more youth clubs and music studios. Young people like music and back in the day there used to be lots of youth clubs we could visit. Now there are hardly any."
Another teenager, 17-year-old Danielle, said sentences needed to be tougher. She said: "I know people going in and out of prison. They have X-Boxes, Playstation 2 and 3s, TVs - that is like getting sent to your room for stabbing someone."
Wesley, 15, who has been excluded from mainstream education, said boredom was a major factor behind carrying knives and crime.
He told filmmakers: "For some people it is like a fashion. You think, 'That little boy has got some money, let me take it off him.' Or you are bored. You have nothing to do so you think let's have a laugh and do that to someone else. Afterwards you feel kind of guilty, but just a little bit."
The film was created by Tower Hamlets Summer University - a charity that works with young people during school holidays.
It is backed by London Youth Offer, a £79million project by the London Development Agency and the Government to provide more services for young Londoners. Youth Offer will run until 2010, with £20million from the LDA and £59 million from Government.
Mr Johnson has launched his own anti-knife action plan focusing on tackling truancy, boosting sports facilities and increasing the opportunity for children in care to go to university. He said: "This film gives real insight into views on youth crime.
"It was made before I launched my action plan but the comparisons are clear - from first-time offenders saying prison doesn't work to young people asking for more skills training and jobs. The benefits of character-building youth organisations and community sports clubs were also obvious."
Sarah Davies, THSU chief executive, said the project had "provided our students with the opportunity to represent young Londoners and get their voices heard".
Reader views (12)
I agree prisons need to be tougher. Prisons need to be feared and so do the police, for some young teenagers going to prison would offer them a better life than they have ,its like going on a holiday. I think it is not only prisons that need to get tougher it’s the schools do as well they always seem to be rewarding the bad and ignoring the children that are being good. This generation is nothing but a bunch of spoilt children who have been allowed to get away with everything if they play up in class they are given rewards and are treated as special needs.
- Donna, islington
Not boot camps but labour camps where they can learn a trade and responsibility. The camps must not have any luxuries but should just cover the basic healthy needs of the youngsters. Educational TV and games etc. should be the entertainment on their days off. Rewards can also become part of the camps. Get more time off or become a team leader etc.
- Ignoramus, Surrey
This is the same thing teenagers and some parents have been saying for months now. We even wrote to Boris Johnson about the very same subject. Kids need more to occupy their time. School and college drop outs need guidance and prisons need to be tougher.
These teenagers are sentenced and are allowed to order goods from Argos, watch TV and play game consoles in the comfort of their cells. They come out of prison and are not afraid to go back in.
*Steve from London* we live in a different time now. When I was a teenager in the 80's there were more facilities. Sports centres, inexpensive performing arts schools, evening and weekend youth clubs where you could learn skills as well as have fun, supervised teenage parties on Friday nights.
Well behaved teenagers suffer too, they go to school or college and have little to occupy their time in the evening and weekends.
The few sports clubs available are expensive, the youth centres have closed down and the performing arts schools do not cater to teenagers any longer.
Boredom leads some teenagers into crime.
Parents play a vital role but when teenagers feel alienated, are bored, frustrated and angry it is hard to control them.
Boris Johnson should have been listening to these teenagers months ago.
- Hiedi, London
Thirty years ago Keith Joseph warned that the then wholesale availability of benefits would lead to a lawless underclass. Life in urban Britain proves him to have been 100% correct - and the situation steadily worsens. Gaol is not the answer. Until a political group emerges that has the courage to tackle the massive and vastly expensive problems generated by the feckless being rewarded with benefits/low cost housing for life, for producing children that they are unable to properly care for, then UK society can only deteriorate further. God help everyone.
- Alan Best, Haslemere
Bring back approved schools and tougher regimes for these wayward youth. Prisons have simply become colleges for crime. Name and Shame and Pink Boiler Suits on work duty outside are the answer.
- Dhanraj, Basildon Essex
I am heartened to read someone so young that "gets it" regarding how prisons are too soft. However she needs to continue her education for it is not the gvt's job to open "youth clubs" and keep the kiddies occupied. Well, perhaps in the Nanny State of the UK it is..
- Trunk, US
If someone has violated someone else's human rights, they should have theirs seriously curtailed down to the very basics. Whatever age a prisoner is, they surely need nothing beyond food, water and adequate shelter to meet their needs, and certainly not game boys. Punishment should be punishment. Rehabilitation programmes definitely have their place after punishment, but even when preparing someone to re-enter society there is still no need for games consoles.
- Claire, Londn
Boredom?I'm sounding old at 42 but there was even less to do when I was young.Even the pubs had regulated opening hours so I couldn't even drink myself into oblivion when I were a lad.
- Steve, London
Boot camp is bad and I shall tell you why.
What does it actually teach? It teaches kids to follow orders, to do as they are told, respect leaders and basically follow the crowd.
Now consider that on release most of the kids who go to boot camp return to there old friends and possibly gangs.
Having learnt the above skills in boot camp they will just follow the leader of the gang, do what there friends say and basically spiral. This has been proven by studies in America and is the reason boot camp is dieing out as a punishment in America.
Better would be to teach proper skills, how to be independent and to trust your own judgement rather than following others.
I know I am going to be slammed as some liberal do gooder but think about it and don't just jump in the punishment should barbaric.
Sentencing should be harsh, but it should offer reward for effort and achievement, it should offer education and skills and should reward people for learning.
Education is the key to crime prevention.
- Stuart, Luton, UK
What "escalating knife violence"? Knife crime numbers are down this year compared to last year.
- Basildon, London
Isn't this what most people have always known. Goes to show just how totally out of touch politicians are ! This government has encouraged the scum of society to live off the state, have lots of kids, most of which aren't cared for properly and then expect the rest of society to pay for it and pick up the pieces. Maybe future governments will actually 'listen' to the man on the steet in future, instead of thinking they know it all, when they clearly don't! May I first suggested a repeal of the Human Rights Act.
- Sue, Orpington, Kent
Quite illuminating for a young person who has done times to advocate boot camp rather than prison. I'm sure he's spot on. And the young people are quite right .. they need youth clubs, sports clubs, anything that gets them off the streets and gives them some interest.
- Ab, London
