The battle to prevent re-offending [Jersey News/TV]

The text below is from a TV broadcast from Jersey News/TV concerning the need to do more to prevent re-offending.  interesting comments from offenders and victims.  You can watch the full feature at the Jersey News online website and broadcast – Click Here: Channel Online: Jersey News – The battle to prevent re-offending.

A bigger effort is needed in Jersey to stop young people from repeatedly breaking the law, according to those who work with young offenders.

At present 73 per cent of them who have been in custody will re-offend – two thirds will be serious offences.

Despite the bleak odds, the prison service, probation, the police and the other agencies are trying to break the cycle.

Some offenders told us why they think it is hard for them to stop being criminals.

Peter Hall said: “It’s more like back home where I am from, from Newcastle. There is, like, no jobs or nothing. The only way to make money really is crime – especially if you get away with it the first time, it makes you feel you can get away with that again.”

Jordon Crespell, 18, said: “You don’t think about it when you are in here (prison), you think I will never be back, I will never be back and when you get back out just come back.”

Alastair Lagadu, also 18, added: “Don’t know – I’m really worried about getting back to the same way, drinking and that, like I was before and getting into trouble again.”

One way of trying to stop offenders getting back into more trouble is to bring them face-to-face with their victims.

Brenda Pirozzolo, a former owner of La Fregate restaurant on the waterftront, told us about her meeting with a 14-year-old who had smashed the door to the cafe, thrown food everywhere, poured milk in the cash register and wrecked the place.

She explained: “I spoke with him, I asked him why, why he had done it to me and he explained peer pressure and the reason he had sort of carried it through, but I was also then able to let him know the effect it had had on me and I think he was surprised.

“He was surpised how upset I was, in fact I got quite emotional when I was talking to him and he was surprised the effect it had had on me. I think it had had another effect on him – that somebody was prepared to listen to him and also give him an understanding of the effect it had on his victim.”

Since meeting the 14-year-old, Brenda has kept updated on his welfare. She even wrote to the youth court on his behalf. She says despite what he did she wants him to turn his life around – and now knows the roots of his offending.