Boots camps for young crims?

[MotherBear]

Nats plan boot camps for youth criminals
Updated 1:40PM Tuesday January 29, 2008
By Edward Gay

National leader John Key said he will get tough on youth crime and what he describes as "unexploded time-bombs on a fast-track to Paremoremo".

In his state of the nation speech at a hotel in Ellerslie this afternoon, Mr Key said National would introduce army boot camps as part of Fresh Start Programmes, double the length of residential sentences and issue electronic bracelets for those who do not comply with court ordered supervision contracts.

He said the Youth Court will also have its jurisdiction increased to hear cases involving 12 and 13 year-old offenders. Currently the minimum age is 14.

He also pledged parenting courses, mentoring programmes and drug and alcohol rehabilitation.

His speech comes after a series of high-profile murders during January, in which young men have been either accused of the crime or victims.

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[nickydwuk]

That's what I think some of them need - certainly in the UK.

[Welshgirl]

I'm all for this, and the sooner the better. And none of this 'Bad Lads Army' soft-touch stuff, proper boot camp where they have to play by the rules or suffer the consequences. This children's 'rights' malarky has gone too far now, someone needs to be brave enough to say enough is enough and put some laws into effect to reverse the anarchy trend in youngsters, before it gets out of control completely. Everyone needs to play their part - parents, teachers, the authorities, but most of all the kids. There will always be those who go off the rails, no matter how good parenting they have, no matter how strict their teachers are - the blame can't always lie with a 3rd party. Sure, boot-camp should be a last resort, but I would be more than happy for any of my kids to attend, if I had completely lost control and would expect them to be treated accordingly.

Anyway, sorry, I'll just go back to welcoming people to the forum and birthday wishes

[MotherBear]

Originally Posted by Welshgirl

I'm all for this, and the sooner the better.

Couldn't agree more. There seems to be absolutely nothing that youngsters have to fear any more. They need something hanging over them as a deterrent to make them stop and think before they act. Sitting around festering in prison may be inconvenient to a lot of them but it's a soft touch. Being pushed and made to shift themselves has to be more beneficial and healthier, I would think, not to speak of the discipline they would encounter. With a bit of luck these young people would feel better about themselves by the time they came out.

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