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EDITORIAL COMMENT |
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T.H.O.M.A.S. looks with enthusiasm at the Government's vision for
modernising the Criminal Justice System. We firmly believe that in reducing
crime we need to look at the causes. Within the last few weeks 'The Way Ahead',
a new document published jointly by the Home Office, the Lord Chancellor's
Department and the Attorney General's Office, sets out proposals and ideas for
reform. Of course, we believe that persistent offenders need to be effectively
detected, prosecuted and punished. However, we need to face the fact that
prison is not always the appropriate place for the offender. It can be a waste
of tax-payers' money and the fertile environment for re-offending. Flexibility
is needed in our approach to custodial sentencing. As an organisation working
with excluded young people with drug problems and criminal histories, we have
first hand experience of how effective rehabilitation can be in breaking the
cycle of criminality. When we look at youth crime we are left in no doubt that
one of the root causes is a fascination and often an addiction to chemical
substances. We need to tackle the problem if we are going to liberate the
offender. Local communities have a paramount role to play. Thanks to European funding we have now set up our new Training Unit. In the next six months we aim to provide training in information technology for up to sixty people. We have now opened our new Media Unit, where we intend to provide training opportunities for young people who have had a history of crime and drugs, and are now wanting to build new lives. We continue to offer drug rehabilitation for the most excluded drug user within the community. Our mentoring scheme for ex-offenders is already bearing fruit. Equally, our drama workshop, 'In Your Face', has become an excellent tool for schools and colleges as we educate young people about the harsh realities of addiction. All our actors are ex-addicts and are now working with our organisation. In this edition of Edges, not only do we speak about our own work but we continue to give a voice to marginalised people throughout the UK and different parts of the world. |
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