The “Fear Factory” is a new film about the criminal justice system. Watch the trailer or find out more here.
On releasing “The Fear Factory” at a closed screening in Central London last week, the Bulger case was history – the hair-trigger cause of the youth justice crisis which the film shows unfolding over the past two decades. This weeks events have shown it’s more real, more relevant than ever – and more worryingly, that we’ve learnt little from the past.
Despite knowing full well that a punitive climate, stoked by a distorted fear of crime has lead to a doubling of our prison population and rates of re-offending as high as 90%, our educated friends in Westminster have done nothing to change this. So why not? Could it be because fear actually helps them… ?
In the 1990’s law and order burst onto the political agenda as way to grab votes and Michael Howard, home secretary when Bulger’s killers were sentenced, led the way – bending to public and tabloid pressure and extending the killers sentences. A canny Blair, realised that crime, and especially youth crime was a big winner with the red tops and if he was going to win the election he needed them on-side.
The Sun’s then Executive Editor told us in a cringe-worthy moment for anyone who bought Blair’s hype at the time:
He ran, “tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime” past me and asked “do you think the press will go for this one?
They did; In a big way, and NuLabour™, took Howard’s precedent to the max. For example our exec editor at the Sun wrote a leader saying yobs should be frogmarched to cashpoint machines and within a week it was Labour policy. Some 4,300 new criminal offences have been introduced in the last decade and today we’re paying the price. It costs up to £250,000 to keep a young offender in custody and as few as 10% stay on the straight and narrow when they get out.
Meanwhile, some states in the US are investing heavily in programmes that have now been proven successful at re-habilitating young offenders and scrapped plans to build new prisons. This should make us pause for thought but the re-emergence of Bulger and resultant coverage ahead of a general election doesn’t bode well – both Tories and Labour have pledged to build more prisons and the Ministry of Justice has just signed off on a private sector contract to build and run the first Titan-style prison for young offenders.
Alongside Ministers and MPs in the film we also interviewed victims, young offenders and killers. None of them pulled any punches (probably why broadcasters won’t touch anything but a hacked down version). Off the back of the film, 47 national organisation joined a coalition asking for an end to this ‘arms race on political tough talk’; The Liberal Democrats have pledged not to use fear as an electioneering tool – in stark contrast to the Conservatives and Labour. Maria Eagle MP (Ministry of Justice) refused to make the same pledge at our screening, with Labour’s new advert on crime out – it’s not hard to see why. At least she had the courage to come to the screening, unlike Conservative Shadow Justice Secretary, Dominic Grieve MP, who was conveniently called away at the last minute on a three line whip and unable to defend himself on what many will see as a direct endorsement of Chris Grayling’s “misleading” statements on crime figures.
by Joanna Natasegara and Richard Symons
March 12, 2010 at 8:00 am
Liberal Conspiracy
Do go and comment on their blog:
http://liberalconspiracy.org/2010/03/12/the-fear-factory/
Showing posts with label young offenders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label young offenders. Show all posts
Friday, 12 March 2010
Friday, 26 February 2010
Young People’s Participation in the Youth Justice System
Young offenders have the same right to have their views taken into account as other children and young people. However a new NCB report, Young People’s Participation in the Youth Justice System, has found that there are a number of barriers to participative approaches in youth justice services, despite evidence that young offenders who have a say in decisions that affect them are more likely to have better outcomes overall.
The report suggests that negative public perceptions of young offenders have resulted in political ambivalence as to whether young offenders ‘deserve’ a say, while staff culture and commitment and a lack of training on participative approaches can further hinder meaningful contributions by young people in their own assessments. Furthermore young offenders have low expectations about their ability to influence the plans that are made for them, despite welcoming the opportunity to have more say.
While some local services have developed their own initiatives to consult young offenders on issues that affect them, the report recommends that the Youth Justice Board lead the process by developing a participation strategy covering all aspects of the youth justice system. It is imperative that such a strategy establish mechanisms that will support the development of a culture of participation throughout youth justice services. In responding to the report, Frances Done, chair of the Board, has stated that the Board will consider its approach to participation and regard the development of a participation strategy as a high priority.
We know from evidence and experience that outcomes are more likely to be positive when young people have been active partners in shaping the services they receive. The approach to involving young people within the youth justice system in their own assessment and case management should also be reviewed, in partnership with young people. Developing a comprehensive participation strategy covering both individual and more general aspects of youth justice services could greatly improve outcomes for young offenders and enhance the job satisfaction of staff working with them.
Diane Hart
Principle Officer
Youth Justice and Welfare
National Children's Bureau
The report suggests that negative public perceptions of young offenders have resulted in political ambivalence as to whether young offenders ‘deserve’ a say, while staff culture and commitment and a lack of training on participative approaches can further hinder meaningful contributions by young people in their own assessments. Furthermore young offenders have low expectations about their ability to influence the plans that are made for them, despite welcoming the opportunity to have more say.
While some local services have developed their own initiatives to consult young offenders on issues that affect them, the report recommends that the Youth Justice Board lead the process by developing a participation strategy covering all aspects of the youth justice system. It is imperative that such a strategy establish mechanisms that will support the development of a culture of participation throughout youth justice services. In responding to the report, Frances Done, chair of the Board, has stated that the Board will consider its approach to participation and regard the development of a participation strategy as a high priority.
We know from evidence and experience that outcomes are more likely to be positive when young people have been active partners in shaping the services they receive. The approach to involving young people within the youth justice system in their own assessment and case management should also be reviewed, in partnership with young people. Developing a comprehensive participation strategy covering both individual and more general aspects of youth justice services could greatly improve outcomes for young offenders and enhance the job satisfaction of staff working with them.
Diane Hart
Principle Officer
Youth Justice and Welfare
National Children's Bureau
Monday, 22 February 2010
Why did The Nationwide Foundation fund the production of the film?
Our interest in and commitment to supporting the rehabilitation of young offenders began in 2005. The Nationwide Foundation is grant-making charity, which provides funding to other charities and at that time we approved six grants to charities working to reduce reoffending and provide transition and resettlement support for young people leaving custody.Three of these charities were: Addaction, Construction Youth Trust and Safer Wales.
Initially the charities worked on their own projects, but we quickly recognised that they shared many goals and were each tackling the same obstacles in trying to provide an accurate portrayal of young offenders.
We decided to bring the charities together to foster a collaborative working relationship. We wanted the charities to share expertise and best-practice, and consider how they could collectively effect change.
By working together, the charities proposed that they challenge mainstream stereotypes about young offenders and influence change through the production of an informative, educational and emotive documentary.
Impressed with the project plan and keen to encourage meaningful partnership working in the charity sector, we provided the funding to create the film, which has become the Fear Factory.
The Nationwide Foundation has not influenced the charities or the film makers, Spirit Level Film on the content of the documentary, except to state from the outset that the aim was to educate and bring about positive change. This would reduce reoffending among young offenders and provide them with more opportunities to embrace a life free from crime, ultimately creating safer communities for us all to live in.
We eagerly look forward to seeing substantial, long-lasting benefits as a result of the project we have invested in. We want to see benefits both for the young people currently in and exiting the prison, as well as those who may benefit from alternative, non-custodial intervention.
Lisa Parker
Chief Executive
The Nationwide Foundation
To find out more about the work of the Nationwide Foundation, please visit: www.nationwidefoundation.org.uk
Initially the charities worked on their own projects, but we quickly recognised that they shared many goals and were each tackling the same obstacles in trying to provide an accurate portrayal of young offenders.
We decided to bring the charities together to foster a collaborative working relationship. We wanted the charities to share expertise and best-practice, and consider how they could collectively effect change.
By working together, the charities proposed that they challenge mainstream stereotypes about young offenders and influence change through the production of an informative, educational and emotive documentary.
Impressed with the project plan and keen to encourage meaningful partnership working in the charity sector, we provided the funding to create the film, which has become the Fear Factory.
The Nationwide Foundation has not influenced the charities or the film makers, Spirit Level Film on the content of the documentary, except to state from the outset that the aim was to educate and bring about positive change. This would reduce reoffending among young offenders and provide them with more opportunities to embrace a life free from crime, ultimately creating safer communities for us all to live in.
We eagerly look forward to seeing substantial, long-lasting benefits as a result of the project we have invested in. We want to see benefits both for the young people currently in and exiting the prison, as well as those who may benefit from alternative, non-custodial intervention.
Lisa Parker
Chief Executive
The Nationwide Foundation
To find out more about the work of the Nationwide Foundation, please visit: www.nationwidefoundation.org.uk
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