Offenders education training and employment

Firstly, I would like to acknowledge all those who have been working tirelessly to support young people at risk of offending and re-offending, so well done to all of the rehabilitation services for being committed to the wellbeing of today’s troubled youth and increasing their chances of improving their lives. We at the Breakout media academy are glad that the government is finally taking a more enlightened and effective approach toward the rehabilitation of offenders in the prison system. It has taken courage for the Minister of Justice Ken Clarke to go back on his old policies and beliefs about crime and punishment, putting the emphasis on rehabilitation.

"Justice Secretary Ken Clarke wants prisoners in England and Wales to work a 40-hour week.Speaking at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, Clarke said the Government would start a major expansion of prison industries to get more inmates working. Clarke's plan is for inmates in publicly-run prisons to work a 40-hour week.They would be paid the minimum wage - with part of their earnings going to victims.He said jail was a place of "sluggishness and boredom" for many prisoners.

Officials are said to be aware that any move to provide prisoners with work must not be at the expense of local jobs and businesses."

These are marvellous ideas for three simple but significant reasons,

• They will be subject to productive discipline, and gain an insight into what it takes to earn an honest living; therefore understanding the negative impact they had on their victim’s lives and hopefully resulting in feelings of remorse and compassion.

• They will obtain new skills, get education and a feel of real hands on work experience,giving them a work ready frame of mind, an increased feeling of self worth and more to the point, making them employable.

• Potentially, being REHABILITATED!

It is common knowledge that in general, when people feel good, they usually do good,so providing inmates for example, with constructive tasks will give them a sense of positive achievement and potentially an improved outlook on life. There is hope for those who want help, those who want a second, third or fourth chance to positively change their life, the time is coming. When we get let into the prisons, things will improve for everyone involved in our courses. We are committed to it. Like they say, "It’s a hard job, but some one’s got to do it". That said, let there be hope for all those of us out there who really do believe in change, and may God give us the strength we need so we can work hard for those who are really in need. The people who are truly trapped in a cycle and feel bound to the only lifestyle they know. Those who have no hope or see no prosperity, to me and many others; they are the ones who need the most help.

It is about time the government pay their dues to society, many of the criminals of our time are merely product of their environment, people who never got the opportunity to work in a field of their preference or ability. People who come from broken homes with deep domestic issues that, social services failed to notice. When they did, they referred clients to vile, poorly supervised care homes that were rife with child abuse and mental torture. Basically, today’s problems are consequences of yesterday’s mistakes, yesterday being the 1970’s and 80’s and so on.

The problem with crime is that there is very little work contributed to crime prevention, let alone rehabilitation, if it seems there is a lot to be done in rehabilitation, then prevention is tenfold. There is no doubt that crime is always going to be around, especially now media is having such a subliminal impact on young minds, but if the right work is conducted, crime could really decrease in the next couple of decades. We as a nation need to pull ourselves together before it is really too late. There is still time to make a difference, the government just need to lead the way and set the right example. Do things that benefit the poor instead of the countries already wealthy, a lot of people have completely lost faith in the system. So why are the youth expected to behave correctly when the government itself is so selfish and corrupt.

Parents are always being held fully responsible for their offspring’s actions, which is unfair. They are in a battle of their own, in many cases they are doing the very best they can, against all odds. You can’t always keep an eye on your children, you can’t imprison them, and it is very difficult to apply discipline when parents have been stripped of nearly all of their disciplinary power. Young teenagers don’t respect their elders anymore, why should they, because their told to.Respect has to be earned before it’s installed, and to a vast majority of young teenagers loving parents and good people are not cool anymore.

We as community interest companies can only do so much, we have our limits, the more support we receive, the more support we can give to those who want and in some cases, fully deserve it.

If you agree with what you have read, then why not visit www.breakoutmediatraining.co.uk and see what you could do to make a difference.