Criminals don’t go to panto. Oh yes they do!
Theatre trips can ‘help develop offenders’ social skills’
CRIMINALS spared prison are being taken to pantomimes under Scotland’s soft- t ouch community payback scheme.
Former Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill pledged that criminals including violent thugs and sex offenders would pay for their crimes ‘through the sweat of their brow’.
But now it has emerged that female offenders in Scotland have been taken to see a performance of Beauty and the Beast – in order to help them develop their social skills.
As the number of community payback orders has overtaken prison sentences, an investigation has found the tasks offenders are required to complete are increasingly lightweight. Crimi- nals ‘ punished’ in the community can now make pom-poms, knit, do jigsaws or even go for a walk.
This comes after the Scottish Daily Mail revealed prisoners have been let out to go flyfishing, raising fears over the leniency shown to those who break the law.
Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Margaret Mitchell said: ‘ These bizarre rehabilitation activities only undermine Scotland’s criminal justice system and subjects it to ridicule.
‘Furthermore, this not only sends out entirely the wrong message to offenders but is an insult to the victims of crime.’
A Scottish Daily Mail investigation found female criminals given community payback orders in Renfrewshire were taken to Beauty and the Beast at Paisley Arts Centre last December.
They were treated to the outing ‘to further their horizons’, as well as for ‘pro- social modelling of appropriate behaviour in social situations and development of social skills’.
Criminals in Aberdeenshire unable to join a work party or placement can get away with pom-pom-making or completing jigsaws, to make sure all the parts are included for resale at charity shops.
In Glasgow, coaching a sports game counts as community serv- ice; while in Perth and Kinross, part of a community sentence includes learning ‘ bead skills’ t hrough j e wellery- making, knitting and making s of t furnishings.
Eben Wilson of campaign group Taxpayer-Scotland said: ‘Community payback should be exactly that – recompense to the community for committing a crime. Taxpayers do not expect their money to be spent on trips to the panto.
‘They should not be getting treats which many families in Scotland cannot afford.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘ Offenders might spend time on activities which are designed to develop skills for personal responsibility and stop further offending. We know this approach works’
‘An insult to the victims’