Locking up young offenders sends them back out into society harder than when they went in

Barbara, UK

Locking up young offenders sends them back out into society harder than when they went in and with a worse attitude. Locking up their parents.. I think there may be a few parents who would find the living conditions better being locked up then back home on their rotten old council estate. At least they won't be paying the bill! Perhaps they'll send their kids out deliberately to commit a crime just for a few weeks inside a dry, comfortable dwelling with free meals!
Barbara, UK

If my kids behaved badly and did serious acts of vandalism/public nuisance/drunkenness etc, I would personally stop pocket money/curfew them from going out in the evenings. And if I caught them committing serious crime or getting into trouble I wouldn't be afraid to get him/her by the scruff of the neck and dragging them to the local police station and asking for them to be locked up or I'd get social services to lock them in secure units or care.
Anthony, Accrington, Lancashire, UK

I cannot bear all you do-gooders and people saying this is complex. If these people were murdering people or raping women you would not think twice about locking them up.....so what is the difference if these idiots are robbing, thieving etc? Are you people suggesting that these types of crimes are due to society, poverty, parents? They are scum, they know the rules of society and they choose to break them on a habitual scale.
Sven, UK

Diving holidays, safaris - what an intelligent way to punish someone. Criminal behaviour is wrong, be it an adult or child committing the crime. Many of these youths are known offenders and often are caught in the act of vandalism or assault/theft. This should automatically absolve their human rights, as they have chosen to put themselves outside the law and should not be able to use it in defence of their crime.
Neil, uk

I am a law abiding citizen. I am retired... I know personally of two young men from very very caring and law abiding families, who have been locked up with no positive result at all. The first lad learned all about drugs inside and then took an accidental overdose of heroin and died. The second has not yet been released. The answer surely, is to have a fairer judicial system.
Bob Gee, UK

All corporal punishment does is make them think that the stronger person is always right

Christopher Gray, USA

I am appalled by what I've read on this message board. How can you people say that hitting a child teaches them right from wrong? All corporal punishment does is make them think that the stronger person is always right, and that they can get their way by bullying people. The problem isn't that people don't force values onto their children; it is that they don't take the time to teach values to their children. Parents can't be bothered to have meaningful discussions with their children; it's so much easier to smack them and send them to their rooms. Here in the USA, most law officials turn a blind eye to corporal punishment and they often encourage it. This barbaric, discompassionate attitude is the precise reason why crime in America is far more rampant than in any other industrialized nation. The amount of children that are committing minor offences in the UK is minuscule compared to the percentage committing more serious violations in America. There is no room for corporal punishment in a peaceful society; for the two are completely and utterly contradictory.
Christopher Gray, USA

I think too many parents just don't know where their kids are or what their up to. Where I live there are 7-8 kids always causing trouble. We have to watch them all the time ripping our fences & sheds up and throwing rocks into our gardens, houses etc. The police get called - they move on to come back the next night. The parents are told they then get abusive also! It's the parents that need aiming at!!
Caroline Hall, Buxton England

A truly pragmatic approach involves finding the balance between accountability and addressing the root causes which lie in unresolved childhood trauma. Talking tough is easy and perhaps necessary for politicians to show they are in control. Dealing with dysfunctional families is complex and requires tough compassion. This is not the same as making excuses or being "soft". The UK is a world leader in child care and should not turn its back on child offenders by pushing panic buttons. The time for that will surely arrive later if these policies are maintained.
Sajeeva, UK

I have been a juvenile prosecutor for over 25 years. I wish I could point to one solution to this complicated problem. However if I was forced to identify the most common denominator among troubled youth I would have to say it is the home. Parents have to realize their training, and the example they set, will solve 99% of out youth problems. I don't know why the courts are so reluctant to put more pressure on the parents when the kids are in court. Especially those kids who are not there for the first time. I am all for pushing the parents harder to act responsibly while we are concurrently holding the kids responsible for their learned behaviour.
Larry Abrahamson, USA

It's about time the kids were held responsible, but let's not be too quick to point the finger at the parents

Dave, UK

It's about time the kids were held responsible, but let's not be too quick to point the finger at the parents. We have 3 kids, all brought up to the same standard. One is unruly and objectionable for no apparent reason, the other two are no problem at all. The unruly one is now 10 and has already learned to manipulate the legal system to his own ends. We recently tried to punish him for hitting his mother. His response was to call the police and tell them I had assaulted him. I was arrested and held in the cells and it was a week before the police investigation revealed his lies. He now uses the threat of lying to the police to have us arrested as a means to do whatever he pleases. Social services are no help - they took his view that he needed more freedom to make his own decisions. The police were worse than useless and said they would respond in the same way to any future complaints from him. We don't hit or smack him, using the PC method of groundings and loss of privileges which is all we are allowed to do, but even these have no effect any more. Locking us up or sending us to parenting classes won't work - we've tried those 2 options and have failed. What next?
Dave, UK

The only way to deal with crime is to deal with the criminals, whether they be young or old. It's often said that locking up offenders will only cause them to re-offend when they come out - possibly true, but locking them up for several years at least stops them from offending during that period. With fewer criminals on the streets, the criminal to police ratio will move in favour of the police - which in turn should mean more criminals are caught - thus improving things even more.
Stuart McGregor, Surrey, England

I'm a Greek student, studying and living in Stockholm, for about three years now. Unfortunately as I happen to notice many adults here, too fail to tell the youth off when they have every reason to do so! For example, I often notice, while on the subway, actions of vandalism and irritating behaviour, often even against passengers, by frustrated teenagers, but I rarely see anyone here trying to stop these kids! Whenever I try to do so, (at the risk of being beaten up, when there are many!)I see that many passengers look at me in a strange way, instead of helping me out!
Alexandros, B, Greece/Sweden

We are a "middle England family" and we have a close bond with our son. That did not stop him causing his friend's death by drink driving. Serving 3 years and 9 months, he's just been released on "tag". He describes the regimes inside as not being tough enough and the leniency in sentencing other for what he did as a farce. What else do the politicians want as evidence? What's really needed is a return to the short sharp shock - 6 weeks of army style square bashing and fatigues and care not what the Court of Human Rights, the Howard League and all the other do-gooders say. After that, put them to work on community orders and whisk them back inside for another 6 weeks if they default - increasing with time until the really hard ones get what they deserve and the streets are free of violence and robbery. After all, the law was quick enough to get the Dangerous Dogs Act on the statute book - just what do they need to get 10 year olds who commit persistent crime behind bars where they belong?
Kevin, UK

To me it seems fashionable to mug people or commit crime within ethnic minorities

Jason Brown, UK

I am sorry to say that I am of the opinion that it is mainly the ethnic minorities that cause the most crime and are definitely the perpetrators of 70% of street crime. This is not to say that white kids don't do it but to me it seems fashionable to mug people or commit crime within ethnic minorities.
Jason Brown, UK

Why do people always talk about either making punishments harder or giving kids something to do? If we want the crime rate to come down both these solutions (and probably others) need to be implemented. Most crimes are committed because the perpetrator enjoys doing it. For example, drug taking gives you a high and joy-riding doesn't have joy in it for no reason. If these kids had something legal that they enjoyed then many wouldn't bother committing crimes.
Steve, Wales

I feel juvenile criminals should be sent to reformatory institutions set up in isolation from the society. The deleterious influence of hardened criminals locked-up alongside teenage offenders will permanently damage their moral characters. Any sign of criminal behaviour should be nipped in the bud, and this will require greater involvement of the parents, teachers and the community as a whole.
Atri Guha, USA

Having been burgled twice this year, in an area plagued by youth crime I am somewhat hardline - I firmly believe that those who don't want to learn the error of their ways won't. There isn't really much point in trying to educate the parents, they should already know better. I say it would be better to build a small town (similar to Peterborough or Milton Keynes) with a very large wall around it so that these offensively stupid people can commit crimes against each other, thereby leaving the rest of us well alone. A prison town ought to deter more so than our rather liberal justice system does at the moment.
Bryan Statham, UK

Of course it would, look them up and the crime goes from the streets, but when a judge passes sentence i.e. 5 years the person should actually do 5 years, not 2 years then out again.
David Morgan, SWE/GBR

Many of the posters here have moaned about how soft we are on criminals of all ages, and suggested that a good caning will solve the problem. What a load of rubbish! For several hundred years we had caning in schools and punishments for criminals that we would now regard as inhumane. Did crime disappear, or has it got progressively worse? Criminals do not weigh their prospective punishment up when committing a crime - they may well consider the likelihood of getting caught, but nothing beyond that.
Adam, England

Why aren't the parents of these thugs held to account?

Bob, UK

After living abroad for several years, I have now witnessed first hand the damage and upset that the UK's teen criminals can cause, even in so called 'good neighbourhoods'. In our area a gang of 8 to 12 year olds were assaulting and stealing from children, vandalising cars, smashing windows and in one case attempted to set fire to a house. The police were helpless to take action, and on the one occasion that they were taken to the police station (for carrying offensive weapons) one 'poor misunderstood little soul' called his social worker on his mobile phone and demanded her presence immediately! She duly obliged. Why aren't the parents of these thugs held to account?
Bob, UK

I think youngsters are able to get away with too much and they know it. Cracking down on repeat offenders is a must. Most parents are not the problem, it is the environment and social group and we should not always penalise the parents for their children's behaviour. There should be more thorough investigations into why the children are offending or behaving badly instead of automatically pointing the finger at their parents
Anonymous, Scotland

My sixteen year old daughter was raped by two high school boys. The police so far has done nothing about the boys. They are walking around free attending the same school and sending threatening comments to my daughter through their friends to discourage her from filing a lawsuit. Believe me, the law enforcement agency in US is worse than most countries in the world. I wish there were political leaders like David Blunkett here.
RS, MD, USA

Our High Street has become a haven for youths that terrorise the residents of this peaceful family oriented suburb

Craig H, Golders Green, London

This weekend another young man lost his life to a group of thugs in Golders Green Road. The sad thing is, I saw it coming. Over the last year or so our High Street has become a haven for youths that have no business there, but to subject us to their mindless behaviour and terrorise the residents of this peaceful family oriented suburb. Our once pristine area is fast becoming something like a trash heap, litter and broken bottles everywhere, groups of children vandalising shop-fronts and vehicles, subjecting passers-by to a barrage of racist and sexist abuse. When confronted, they are little concerned, and have no fear.
Craig H, Golders Green, London

Then what about locking up the... parents, as well? I think the whole issue is connected to our behaviour and standards as adults. How can anyone expect to raise the youth appropriately when we, adults, all the time give wrong signals with our superficial behaviour? For example, I can't help noticing, often, that my sister-in-law who is divorced with two teenage children refrains from punishing her children as she's afraid she will appear as a ''strict mum'' in comparison to the...stepmother and the father of her children who often spoil the kids, as they have more money and no values!
Joanna, R, UK

Of course this is a very complex subject and there is a lot to be said for lack of parenting. I travel to Reading a great deal and was shocked by the number of young mothers that have no parental control over their children whatsoever. I was brought up to respect my elders and that stealing and lying was totally wrong. If someone had said that a policeman was going to call at my house when I was young I would have never slept for weeks and jumped at every ring of the door bell! The problem must lie at the roots of society.
Simon Lewis, UK

I've had enough of seeing unruly kids deliberately goading and pushing decent law abiding members of the public to the limit. They seem to have no respect for people's property or people in general; the law and those who enforce it are supposed to be the ultimate authority, and yet, to these children the police & legal system are nothing but a joke. When these children offend repeatedly they need to be taken out of society and placed in an environment where the primary aims are education (academic and social) and discipline, military style.
Craig Macdonald, Wales, UK

We seem to swing from too severe to too lenient without making the effort to find the middle ground

James, UK

It seems that after applying various methods to curb crime, society still fails to learn from the past. We seem to swing from too severe to too lenient without making the effort to find the middle ground. I grew up in South Africa where corporal punishment was the order of the day in schools and yet my parents never gave me a hiding.
James, UK

In my local area, plans to re-open a secure juvenile unit have been hotly contested by local residents and the council alike for some months now. While many are happy enough to believe the problem will simply go away by locking up the offenders, how many of them actually want to see a detention centre in their neighbourhood? So where are all these centres going to be located and what exactly will happen within them? Is there a sufficient budget to allow for proper rehabilitation of youngsters and what will it entail? Locking up re-offenders will certainly keep them out of sight/mind for a while, but I believe it does nothing to address the manifold issues which make young people offend in the first place.
Meike, Brentwood, UK

I think the problem is that kids have discovered just how immune they have become to punishments. This coupled with the 'must have' mentality makes it easy for kids to turn to crime. They know they are immune to punishment, so why not? As a multiple victim of crime, mainly done by youngsters I would like to see an effective punishment brought as soon as possible!
Simon Andrew, UK

Most children in our society are well-behaved, it is the minority of children who step out of line who spoil it for the rest of us. Laws put in place to protect children's rights as individuals, actually stop society from disciplining our children and do in effect render us powerless to teach our children respect. Children who see their peers committing offences with no obvious punishment are going to be tempted to act in a similar way.
Tony, UK

The parents should be locked up as well as the kids.
Garry Ryan, UK

Discipline is taught prior to the age of three

Justin, UK

Discipline is taught prior to the age of 3. Strong, careful and loving parenting will result in strong loving respectful children. Parents who give their children sweets to keep them quiet in public are just fuelling the problems. The most important thing my mother ever said to me at the first sight of a spoiled 'whaa' was 'If you don't be quiet I will really give you something to cry about'. Responsibility and respect is then built on the basis of what is wrong and what is right by proper parenting at a very early age.
Justin, UK

I am fascinated by people who believe that working parents and single parent families are the cause of the problem. I was raised by my mother after my father left. She worked full time and also studied for an Open University degree. Yet amazingly, I have never been arrested in my life. I am now, in a historical irony, a separated father. Both I and my son's mother work, but we both do everything in our power to make him feel loved by both parents. We also both contribute to disciplining him when he misbehaves, rather than one of us being constantly at war with him. It is not separation, or working, that creates delinquency, it is the 'spirit' of the upbringing.
Nick Ellis, UK

Although British I have lived in Holland for the past 8 years. My two eldest children were 9 and 11 when we moved and in their early teenage years they were both (at different times) caught shoplifting. They have a very clever scheme whereby children are taken to the Police Station and the parents are called. Because they under age they could of course just be sent home but the police encourage the parents to "hand" the child over to their HALT unit. Here they explain to the children what they have done wrong and offer a solution to put it right. In my son's case he had to work a whole week for a couple of hours after school without pay at the same Supermarket where he had stolen a compass. My daughter had to clean the graffiti from the bus shelters. I promise you, since then they have never stolen a thing and I feel confident they will never in the future steal again. The youth of today have to be deterred at an early age and of course the parents have to be willing to let the police or other authorities deal with them.
Diane Sparreboom , The Netherlands

Living in a society where both parents are rewarded for working, is it really any surprise children turn out the way they do?

Stuart, Australia

I would like to say that as a Mental Health professional we in society all have to accept some responsibility for the way children are turning out. Poverty, bad-parenting, gang culture all play a part, but living in a society where both parents are encouraged and rewarded for working, and one parent families are vilified, is it really any surprise children turn out the way they do. That coupled with the advertising media targeting youth and making them feel second class unless they have the latest of everything. Aspirations most parents can never live up to, until society takes a responsible attitude towards the all pervasive images and role-models presented to youth then we can not complain when they grow up and treat society with disrespect. After all if you take the advertising standard for success then 95% of children are failures... who wants to grow up to be a failure?
Stuart, Australia

I have seen corporal punishment used very effectively (until it was banned) when I was in school 20 years ago. In school, the key thing is that the punisher must only punish when they are calm, and be very careful to go easy on timid children. And of course, striking on the head should be classed criminal.
Michel, Japan

I have read through all of the postings in this discussion but no one has mentioned God. "You shall not steal", and "Honour your Father and your Mother" are commandments given by God for us to obey. They appear in the Christian, Jewish and Muslim holy books, and the commandments are the foundation for most of the laws we have in this civilization.

Jason Gray, well said! Yes, the morals (in this country often based on Christian teaching from the Bible) taught to children from a very young age in the home are vital to the child's levels of rebelling later. If you pacify a child, scream at it and show it nothing, beat it for your own good or use otherwise misbalances and misguided parenting, your child will grow up as a thug, swearing on the streets, cursing policemen and being a bum. I work unpaid with youth every week and most of them are quite civil, but their attitudes towards adults, society and so on are warped. They have not been taught to 'honour' anyone. Tell me, if the Bible is so old fashioned, who cares? Surely it should be judged on if it works or not, and then 10 commandments do work. Try them, they work. Don't cry before you buy!
Mrs G Morgan, UK

I believe that people need to know there is a higher power and authority to whom we must answer. We try and uphold our laws without any reference to the God who gave them to us, and then we wonder why people ignore them. Some just cannot see a good enough reason to obey them - "Rules without reason lead to rebellion"
Jason Gray, England

In a lot of the Third World the Family is the centre of society

Sam Wren, England

I work with a Children's Charity that deals with Third World countries. The Children we work with are all far below our normal Poverty line. However, you see a big discrepancy between the Children who hang round street corners drunk senseless compared to the happy smiley children of the Third World. In a lot of the Third World the Family is the centre of society and there is universal belief in respecting your elders. Also, criminals are punished in a lot of these countries unlike in Britain.
Sam Wren, England

Lets not kid ourselves, this is a highly complex issue with many inter-related problems that will not be solved by quick fix political gimmicks. I do however believe that it is a step in the right direction, maybe making parents and children share the consequences of the child's actions. Perhaps a form of community service that the child & parents would have to serve together would be a start.
Richard , Derby. UK

A lot of these trouble making kids commit crimes to look cool or hard in front of their mates. I think that the boys should be made to wear pink dresses and then frog-marched through their local shopping mall on a Saturday afternoon. The fear of their gang seeing them like this would certainly stop them doing it again. Punishment in the form of embarrassment is very effective.
Martin, Surrey, UK

Teachers are important allies in the fight against crime, they can recognize problem children early while remedies are still cheap. The parents should be obliged to attend parenting classes, for which they should pay. If this is not successful add community service then keep escalating until they get the message and pass it on to their offspring.
Martin FitzGerald, Switzerland

I have to agree with Jay - it should not matter what age an individual is found guilty of a crime. I am sick and tired of the softly-softly approach to these children. After all that is what they are, children. They need discipline in the schools as well as at home.
Richard, London (Born in SA)

I whole-heartedly agree with Jay, UK. I have seen the collapse of social order since I left school in the mid-eighties, all thanks to the 'do-gooders' who insist on sticking their noses into business that doesn't concern them. The bottom line is that since we started being soft on our children at school, and at home, the level of discipline has crashed to a level whereby kids just see crime as a more enjoyable alternative to homework. If a kid steals and torches a car, he (or she) should be punished accordingly. I don't mean a slap on the wrist and told not to do it again, I mean a damn good birching.
Mike, UK

I'm tired of people saying that all these youths need is a big cuddle and that will solve the problem.

Jay, UK

I'm tired of people saying that all these youths need is a big cuddle and that will solve the problem. The truth is, when an individual - no matter what age - commits a crime, that individual is saying he/she does not want to be a part of the society that the law-abiding people amongst us are trying to build. I stepped out of line once when I was at school (for something minor, I must add), got six whacks on my hand with the cane and ALWAYS thought twice in the future.

Instead today, we send them on Safaris, give them book tokens to encourage them to behave and, as already mentioned, give these kids a big sloppy kiss and tell them to blame the rest of the world for their own behaviour. This has got to stop NOW. These kids need to be taught respect for others and a sense of self-responsibility. The only way you can do that is to punish them when they do wrong. It has been proved over the last decade that the softly-softly approach doesn't work - they just see that has some big game. We have to make people realise that that every action has a consequence and if that consequence, in terms of punishment for crimes, is enough of a deterrent, the majority of crime will stop.
Jay, UK

The only solution to youth violence, crime, and drug use is to create an economic situation where only one parent has to work. Until the day is reached in which one parent can stay home then the problem here in America as well as the UK will persist.
Jeremiah Bell, Kansas, USA

I agree that there are social elements at work here that "create" young offenders and whilst these issues need to be addressed, there also needs to be the threat of punishment for youngsters who behave in such a way. I would like to see a scheme which starts off by addressing social issues, maybe by creating community and youth centres within local communities, but is backed up by the threat of serious punishment for those who still choose to break the law.
Mark, UK

Parents are responsible for their children's actions. In too many cases they take a liberal view - go into any supermarket and see how kids scream and shout and get the "don't do that darling" treatment instead of being told not to act like nasty little brats. I am expecting a child and I will make sure that they are happy but respectful. Parents used to discipline their children, now it's "how dare anyone criticise my darling angel?" It's not just disaffected youngsters, it's ones from affluent backgrounds too. They have no discipline and expect the world to owe them a living. Locking them up isn't the answer - forcing parents to bring their children up properly is, and if that means fining parents for the actions of their children (who they allow to go out when they like for how long they like) then so be it.
Helen, UK

Tax breaks for parents who stay at home will have more effect on this problem than Blunkett's proposals.

Chris, UK

I don't have any children yet, but too often I see nice people have 'serious problems' with their children. While it is easy to blame the parents we have to remember how much influence parents have today. In most families both parents are working, often doing long hours (work pressure and long commuting time), thus when they do get home they are tired and it is late. So in reality parents can only spend less than 10% of the child's time with them. What influences are the other 90% - school, where teachers are overworked and restricted on discipline and school bullies, drugs etc are rife, TV where rebels are the heroes, streets where crime is rife. The new budget proposals allowing tax breaks for parents who stay at home will have more effect on this problem than Blunkett's proposals.
Chris, UK

If children are persistent re-offenders lock their parents up, fining them does not work, nor a softly softly approach, as we are finding out!!. The children have not been given the chances most of us have.
I went on an Outward Bound course with car thieves, muggers and burglars all under the age of 17 from poor backgrounds, I come from a wealthy middle class upbringing and I can safely say that after 3 weeks with them in the mountains I trusted them implicitly. They were superb people who I would call my friends and trust with my life, no question. The sad thing was one guy made real progress, but when he returned home after just a few months he was on hard drugs stealing to pay for his habit, his parents didn't care, so long as they got the money from the government. Its about time these "parents" put something back into the community.
Doug, UK, London

Whilst I agree that the responsibility for instilling a sound moral code lies with the family of the individual and society as a whole, saying that people under the age of majority are not accountable for their actions is nonsense. A couple of years ago, my cousin and I were attacked by a gang of 16 year olds wielding hammers, resulting in my cousin being hospitalised for 2 months. I think the perpetrators of this were perfectly aware of and intent on causing suffering. No doubt they all had "problems" at home, but society is composed of individuals and as such, each individual forgoes his or her own human rights by taking away or ignoring those of another. At the age of 16, I would not have dreamed of causing harm to anyone, as I was brought up to have respect others and that actions have consequences. So yes, I think getting tough on criminals at any age is a good idea.
Robert, Scotland

Locking up persistent offenders is a must for the protection of the community. However, it is not a solution to the problem as a whole. I would like to hear Mr Blunkett admit this. A long term solution comes about only through the eradication of poverty, parents being legally forced to take responsibility for their children's actions and dramatic changes in schools allowing discipline and of course, a high standard of education for all.
Andy, UK

It is time to tackle the real issue facing our society - one of division.

Andrew Keogh, UK

As a criminal defence solicitor I see young offenders almost daily. Unfortunately they almost all lead the most desperate lives often against a backdrop of poverty, neglect and violence. The public need protecting is many instances, but please do not lose sight of this vicious circle of generation after generation of individuals disenfranchised from the stability indicators many of us take for granted (stable homes, love, employment, respect). It is time in my view to tackle the real issue facing our society - one of division.
Andrew Keogh, England

I'm fed up of people saying poverty breeds crime. I have had unemployed parents all my life yet I am university educated and doing well. A family across from where I live has two boys who will become thugs when they are older, despite having a nice house, two cars, expensive clothes and so on. It is parents who are responsible - crime certainly does breed in families.
Matt, UK

Of course locking them up will work. They won't look as 'hard' to their mates from behind bars! They might realise there's nothing big or clever about breaking the law, even if it's just because of the consequences.
Jane Kirillov, UK

The problem with society today is that punishment isn't much of a consequence. We must bite the bullet and deal with serious crime with serious and unforgettable punishment (cane springs to mind here). no-one will want to get caught if the punishment is so harsh. However, this needs very careful jury based control.
David, England

Until the court appearance itself, the consequences of crime are too remote.

EV, UK

On the one hand, the government argues prison overcrowding, on the other it wants to remand more young offenders. The only thing that prevents offending is the fear of being caught. The real fear of punishment only sets in afterwards. Until the court appearance itself, the consequences of crime are too remote. Again, we come back to the fact that more money and resources generally need to be attributed to the police force to help prevent crime.
EV, UK

Locking kids up is not the answer. These kids do not have much of a life at home. Sending these kids to military school is more of an answer. They will learn discipline and have better role models than their own parents.
Melissa, England

Basically you need to give the kids something to do rather than commit crimes. Locking them up achieves this aim by physically preventing them from committing crimes for as long as they are locked up. Giving kids something to do that they enjoy and would prefer to do instead of committing crimes also works so long as they don't get bored. Joy-riding, drugs or theft to support drug habits or simply to enable them to have the same things that their better off, better looked after peers have. If it is the only enjoyment these kids have to look forward to, find something else for them to do.
Russell Aisbitt, UK

I am totally in favour of the home secretaries plans. I was brought up in a working class family, my parents often struggled to put food on the table. I am now a successful businessman and have never performed any criminal activity. All too often do gooders defend these poor misguided youths who are beating up old ladies in the street, saying that we shouldn't be too hard on them. This has lead to the current climate of increasing street robberies, violent crimes and gun offences. Stop offering the hooligans excuses and sympathy and start punishing them for their ways!
Jeff, London, UK

I quickly realised the merits of the Short Sharp Shock theory in Hindly Remand Centre.

Colin, UK

Well, speaking as a Young Offender (I am now 27) I quickly realised the merits of the Short Sharp Shock theory in Hindly Remand Centre. However, the current system does NOT work. Not for young offenders. There is one thing that does intimidate, and therefore will deter Young Offenders. That thing is being held at Her Majesty's Pleasure. The uncertainty of not knowing when you will get out. After all when I got a 3 year detained sentence, I was looking to my release date. Most looked to the same, but with plans to re-offend.

So, I would agree that indefinite duration in custody is a solution worth looking into. But, merely locking up Young Offenders again and again will do nothing more than to create more crime when released. Is this draconian? In my opinion, no. Its necessary. And parents should certainly be made to learn how to be worthy parents. And maybe even threatened with legal action if found to be apathetic to their children's activities.
Colin, UK

As a youth worker who lives and works on an inner city estate in Manchester, I'd like to add the following to the debate: These kids are like this due to many factors, not just because they are inherently bad. Try living down the road from them and you'll see what an appalling home life they have - parents who are often drunk regularly beating them up, older siblings in and out of prison, substitute 'fathers' who may not be there the next week, they meet their friends at the local chippy every night because 'mum' can't be bothered cooking. And that's just scraping the surface. You try living with that sort of home life and it would not be surprising if you grew up thinking that you or anything that belongs to you is not valuable or wanted. Then see how they apply that to the rest of the world - if they aren't looked after and valued, why should any one else be? That's not excusing them for their actions, its just explaining the way it is. As we have seen on our estate, the crime rate goes down when you give these kids somewhere to go, something to do and by adults they can trust spending quality time with them individually. Locking them up is not always the answer, although for some kids it really can be the best thing for them.
Claire, England

Prison must be the last resort and only for violent people

K Hadman, Manchester

Surely people must realise soon that prison breeds harder criminals. Ask any notorious criminals and they'll agree that many of their most devious crimes were plotted inside H.M.P. University. Recognise the real causes of crime: poverty, social exclusion and discrimination and do something about these. Sure, locking them up will solve crime problems for a little while but who's going to employ them after a prison sentence? No-one. They'll go straight back to crime as they have no choice. Prison must be the last resort and only for violent people: let's put an end to jailing fraudsters, drug users/pushers, shoplifters. I'm from the Isle of Man where they do jail kids and have seen that it leads them onto the road of crime. It's barbaric and has to stop now.
K Hadman, Manchester, UK

The punishments should be simple: you do the crime, you do the time. This should apply to everyone. Furthermore, prisons should not be holiday camps. They should be tough. Let us start to treat all criminals with the same contempt they treat us.
Grant Valentine, Reading

I don't think locking the kids up will help - they'll just come out with a bigger grudge against society and so the vicious circle will continue. If they really want to make a difference, hit them where it'll hurt the most: the parents. If the eyes of the law say that children under 18 are not liable for their actions, then put pressure on the people who are responsible for them. As a parent myself, if I heard about my child stealing, vandalising, etc there would be utter hell to pay and being grounded would be the least of their worries. At the end of the day, the emphasis should be on good parenting and, until the child is 18, make them carry the can. Perhaps fining parents for their child's misconduct would do the trick. While I wouldn't be chuffed with coughing up the cash, you can be damn sure I would do something to prevent it happening again.
Martin, UK

I have to agree with Karel, UK. As a parent of a 10-year-old boy, I like to think that I am bringing him up with a sense of what's right and wrong. But all my best intentions are ruined when he goes to school with children who are not being taught the same values by their parents. Why? It doesn't help though, when there are more laws regarding children's rights than there are regarding parents' rights! I remember my dad reminding me that he was responsible for all my actions - and I never dared to even think of letting him down... because I knew what the consequences would be! I think about all the hidings I had as a child - and I know I deserved every one of them. Today I like to think that I am a sensible, hard-working, caring adult - which puts paid to those who say that punishing children "scars" them. As for the perpetual young offender - perhaps locking them up isn't the best solution, but until we are given back our parental rights, that is where they are going to have to stay.
Tina, UK

How can you expect parents to teach discipline in the home, if any kind of punishment is considered a breach of the child's rights?

Name Here

It is not the kids that are to blame; it is the system. How can you expect parents to teach discipline in the home, if any kind of punishment is considered a breach of the child's rights. Schools are not allowed to discipline pupils for pretty much the same reasons. What is the end result? A generation of kids are now growing up with zero respect for their elders, and no fear of authority. Yet we expect them to behave and be socially responsible. Don't be fooled into thinking that its just the poor and the ethnic kids that are turning into these thugs, I know of a few kids that come from affluent backgrounds and they are just as bad. Remember the saying "Spare the rod, spoil the child?" well, it looks like it came true.
Karel, UK

At last, a policy that the majority of the Country will agree with. These youth are getting away with murder, literally sometimes, because they know that the legal system is as good as geared to protect them from real punishment. Instead of wasting money on pointless schemes which try to prevent crime, spend some tax payers cash on new LOW luxury prison accommodation, get rid of judges who think 100 hours community service is appropriate for mugging someone and replace them with judges who understand how to punish accurately and see how much crime falls!
Karl, Northants, UK

Locking them up is fair enough as a short-term solution, however it should only be viewed as that. The source of this problem lies with parents - they need to take responsibility for their own actions, and that includes their children. If they are in a situation where they are unable to adequately bring up children, perhaps they should think twice before introducing yet another disadvantaged child into the world. Bringing up a child is primarily the role of parents, and not the state.
Tom, UK

In response to Ania's comment, I would like to remind her of the countless Human Rights abuses and the long running civil war that Nigeria has experienced. To suggest that TV, video games and junk food etc is the source of this problem is ludicrous.
Jimbo Jones, UK

How can one half of the village raise good children when the other half is deliberately trying to undermine their efforts?

Ania, Poland

In Nigeria they have a saying, "It takes the whole village to raise a child." In Britain our young people are seen as "proto-consumers" and surrounded by massively conflicting social messages. The "teen" industries carpet-bomb them with rebellious consumerism. They provide them with pop stars that brag about their capacity for drugs; they provide them with alcohol designed for their sweet-tooth; ultra-violent computer games and cartoons; zero-quality junk food; etc. etc. How can one half of the village raise good children when the other half is deliberately trying to undermine their efforts?
Ania, Poland

Whilst I think it necessary to keep these offenders off the streets, I can't help believing that the real issues lie not with the children themselves, but with the system that creates their lifestyles. If the families of these young offenders had hope, education and financial stability, the problem would not exist. Quite often, these young people take it upon themselves to vent the dissatisfaction of their parents in the current socio-economic system.

If a child has been brought up by parents who have no hope of achieving status or a comfortable life, this attitude is going to rub off on the younger generations. What hope is there for young people growing up in an environment that is rife with crime and very little gainful employment? I fear that locking these kids up will only add to their frustration in the system and drag them further into the life of the criminal. Great idea Labour, give all the young offenders something in common and maybe in 20 years time, you will have successfully created Britain's future crime syndicates.
Neal, London, UK

I am not necessarily an advocate of custodial sentences/corporal punishment, but we must make sure that we have punishments available that disabuse youngsters of the notion that serial offending has no nasty consequences. This is the fatal flaw in the current youth justice system. May I suggest highly supervised, very public community service activities on Saturdays and Sundays - and by the way, drag the parents of the offenders along to help, as they must shoulder some of the blame for the criminality of their offspring.
Rodger Edwards, UK

I doubt that this will make any real difference to the escalating crime situation. It seems that our entire justice system is letting down the victims whilst protecting the guilty; massive changes are required to re-dress this balance. There are far too many "human rights" groups for the perpetrators and seemingly none for the victims.
R Callister, UK

Character building activities need to be developed to give these youths a constructive way to use their time. Strict reform is not always the answer and sometimes encourages worse behaviour. Educate these youths - teach them a trade or a constructive hobby. Parents are really tested in times like these and sometimes an unruly child is beyond their control. I'm positive any parent would gladly take classes to help the outcome of their child's future, but some children are going to rebel regardless of how they are raised.
Aharon, Canada

Steve, UK: Do you mean..."Round 'em up in a field and bomb them "? By any chance?
Colin, UK

I see we have the expected bleats about "character-building" and "social inclusion". Frankly, I don't give a hoot for all this garbage. Get offenders of any age off the streets so that the law-abiding majority can enjoy life without fear of robbery, burglary, vandalism and assault. I don't mind paying tax to keep them out of the society they are so determined to destroy, but I do object to paying anything to give them any "special treatment". I keep to the law, nobody gives me any reward, so why should those who go against the law be given anything but punishment. Bang 'em up and keep them out of our way, for as long as it takes, and then some.
Steve, UK

It's about time we thought of the victim and not the offender

Nick Flynn, UK

For too long our once great nation has been taking the liberal soft approach to these issues of youth crime. It's about time we thought of the victim and not the offender. Lock them up on the first offence and they won't do it again. Let's face it...if they are in prison they cannot commit a crime. Simple as that!
Nick Flynn, UK

Of course locking them up will work - while they are locked up they cannot commit further crimes. The real problem therefore is how to prevent them re-offending when released. One solution would be to make their time in detention such an unpleasant experience that they wouldn't want to return. Don't forget this is PUNISHMENT we're talking about, not understanding or trying to find reasons for crime.
John Strang, Switzerland

There will be no respite from youth crime until we follow the zero tolerance principle in the USA. The idea that 'children' under eighteen should not have full responsibility for their actions is, in my opinion, at best misguided.
Ian, England

The parents of offenders should be made directly responsible for their offspring's actions

Nick, UK

Whatever action is taken it will outrage the do-gooders of this country. We need to crack down on youth offenders with heavy penalties and teach them respect for other people and communities. The parents of offenders should be made directly responsible for their offspring's actions.
Nick, UK

At last, Mr Blunkett has seen sense! These little horrors are a menace to society and something must be done on all fronts.
Jason, Manchester, England

I'd love to know what Med of the UK thinks we should do with criminals. Let them wander around regardless of how terrible a crime they commit?
Dean Cox, UK in USA

Why do policy makers insist on 'locking-up', (whether in prison or remand centres), as being appropriate punishment? Is there any evidence whatsoever to suggest prisons are a good thing? Locking up young offenders has the same effect as locking up adult offenders - their criminal networks get stronger and they learn more tricks of the trade.
Med, UK

If your parents don't bother to instil in you a sense of responsibility and respect of others and society, you are not going to think twice about committing crimes against others. These crimes are committed by emotionally neglected children - and we must remember that they are children and not monsters to be locked up. As for the alternative, the government needs to work towards social inclusion, to eradicate the feelings of alienation that strips away empathy with fellow human beings.
DF, UK

Forcing them to spend a few hours a week scrubbing graffiti from public places might be a beneficial form of therapy

Chris B, England

Good grief - after a suspiciously long silence Blunkett has at last surfaced with an uncharacteristically plausible cunning plan. A first ditch alternative to locking up kids and trying to re-educate the parents might be to punish them with community service; forcing them to spend a few hours a week scrubbing graffiti from public places might be a beneficial form of therapy.
Chris B, England

We all know that prevention is better than cure and that strict but encouraging parents are the key. Giving children something to do that's more fun and more character building than life-destroying alternatives normally works. The idea to punish parents is a good one and a great incentive for parents to drop the narcissism and self-interest and focus on the lives they have bought into this world.
Alex, UK

This was tried by Howard in the early 90's and proved ineffective. Anyone remember the whole "secure units for 12-14 year olds" debacle? It's just a political statement with the illusion of addressing the issue.
Mike di Ricci, UK, London