NCJ Number
74437
Date Published
1980
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Four community supervision programs for probationers in London, England, are described. They emphasize the development of personal and social skills through work.
Abstract
Day training centers provide an alternative to imprisonment for persistent petty offenders, men and women aged 21 to 45. Self-control and discipline are learned through completing assigned tasks and solving problems. Another program, the Ilderton Motor Project, is equipped for vehicle repair and rebuilding, including spraying and welding, for juveniles who have committed auto crimes or who are considered 'at risk.' The center, which can accommodate 15 participants, is open most evenings and occasionally during the day. A client may work on his own car under the supervision of an instructor; however, the main activity of the center is working on unwanted cars to make them fit for 'banger' racing, a sport which involves cars 'banging' into one another until the last car moving is declared the winner. A third program, Bulldog Manpower Services Limited, works with offenders who are unskilled; lacking self-esteem; and unable to manage the routine, discipline, and stress of regular employment. The program creates realistic work situations within which clients learn, under close supervision, work habits that will prepare them to enter the job market. Finally, community service orders provide that offenders spend their Saturdays working without pay to provide some community service. A table shows the number of persons subject to community service orders in Inner London from 1973 to 1978, along with the ages and sexes of offenders.