Asbo generation needs a system that works, not pity
Are some young criminals beyond help? That was not the question posed in Criminal Kids: Crime & Punishment (Channel 4), but unfortunately it was the conclusion reached. The subjects of the film had begun offending as teenagers – one of them proudly appearing on Kilroy as a 15-year-old to boast about his Asbo – and continued into their 20s. They were now trapped in a cycle: come out of prison, breach the terms of a licence, go to court, get a short custodial sentence, and repeat. “There’s a problem with a criminal justice system that can’t fix so many of the people who go through it,” said DS Will Whale of Southampton CID.
Sometimes programmes like these try to elicit sympathy for the criminals – tough lives, difficult upbringings, the odds stacked against them. Not here. No one is going to feel sorry for scumbags who rob the elderly. Andrew sent a text message to a girl in which he admitted to burgling an old lady. She told him that wasn’t funny. “It’s kind of funny,” he replied. DS Whale didn’t mince his words either, as he spoke of a generation of “nihilistic” kids committing crimes.
In the face of this, you could judge the optimism of probation officer Aggie to be either admirable or misplaced. Jordan, 22, had just emerged from prison after spending almost half his life in the system. This time he had a new focus and could be about to change his life, said Aggie, as she tried to manage his release. But he struggled from day one, threatening to steal food and clothes without immediate access to benefits; within days he was caught shoplifting and then ended up back inside, where he said he envisaged himself getting a life sentence for his next crime.
DS Whale said parents should step up. The father of Brandon, arrested for multiple burglaries and still legally a child, sat beside him at the interview with head in hands. “I’ve given him everything,” he said, but something had gone wrong somewhere.
The programme featured footage of politicians vowing to get tough on crime. “Society needs to condemn a little more and understand a little less,” John Major said. But the system isn’t working. Robert, the Kilroy kid, is now in his 30s, committing offences to fuel his heroin and crack habit. In prison, his reputation made him a minor celebrity. “He had the best Asbo, then everyone wanted to get a better Asbo,” said one admirer. The programme offered no answers, just a police force trying their best against grim odds.
Andrew has just joined a dating website. He’s looking for a serious relationship and hopes to start a family, because he has always wanted kids. “There’s far more to my feelings towards children than just sexual attraction,” he explained.
Can Sex Offenders Change? (BBC One) was filled with remarks from interviewees that made the blood run cold. “Andrew” – not his real name – is a paedophile with a conviction for possessing almost 80,000 indecent images on his computer.
The answer to the title question is unknowable. The men interviewed here insisted that they did not want to reoffend. But not all of them showed regret, instead wheedling out of responsibility for their actions. Andrew claimed, implausibly, that he was emotionally trapped in childhood – he said he enjoyed watching the Moomins while sucking a dummy; thus, he justified his behaviour as being attracted to his “peers”. He blamed everyone but himself: “I was walking back home in summer and somebody just decided it was a good idea to have a children’s paddling pool party,” he said indignantly, as if it was the fault of parents for putting their children in his way.
Chris claimed that viewing horrific images of children was simply an extension of his porn habit: “They’re all out there on the free internet, on chat sites anyone can access.” His partner was standing by him, although she seemed unconvinced by his excuses and worried about marrying him one day because she doubted anyone would come to the wedding.
Guiding the programme with skill and as much empathy as she could muster was the young presenter, Becky Southworth. It is common for programmes aimed at a younger demographic to feature the presenter heavily on screen (think Stacey Dooley). But Southworth had a strong personal connection and story to tell here: her father spent 10 years in jail for sex offences against children, including her. She spoke bravely about this on camera, and the intelligent, fair-minded way she handled this film marked her out as a significant talent.
Crime & Punishment ★★★★
Can Sex Offenders Change? ★★★★