REGARDING the huge cost of dealing with young offenders - £60,000 per person per year, I believe, in boot camps - what consideration has been given to spending that money on improving the quality of life of young people in general so that they are not so tempted to resort to crime to get a few bob?
Young people in Britain reportedly get the worst deal in the EU, if not in Europe as a whole. Britain locks away more of its young people.
It is a fact that many decent, honest young people receive no income support whatsoever, but £60,000 a year can be spent on punishing them if they offend.
The £60,000 it costs to keep one person in a boot camp would give a dozen young people £100 a week income support.
In my opinion, that would be more effective in reducing crime. Hypocrisy rules it seems.
W SOLEY (Mr), Burlingham Park, Garstang.
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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