Offenders Doing Unpaid Work
For example, during his tenure as Labour Home Secretary (2006–2007), John Reid was apparently minded to force young offenders sentenced to community punishment to wear army-style uniforms so they could be seen repaying wronged communities. Travis
(2006, p. 7) quotes from a leaked Home Office e-mail: ‘‘the home secretary is very interested in exploring ways of increasing visibility of offenders doing unpaid work in the community such as by wearing uniforms: ‘Unpaid work would have to be portrayed as penance and contrition, and for them to be seen as genuinely paying back to the community’.’’ Reid’s British-style ‘‘chain gang’’ played well in the tabloid press, which is possibly what the ‘‘leak’’ was intended to
achieve.
(2006, p. 7) quotes from a leaked Home Office e-mail: ‘‘the home secretary is very interested in exploring ways of increasing visibility of offenders doing unpaid work in the community such as by wearing uniforms: ‘Unpaid work would have to be portrayed as penance and contrition, and for them to be seen as genuinely paying back to the community’.’’ Reid’s British-style ‘‘chain gang’’ played well in the tabloid press, which is possibly what the ‘‘leak’’ was intended to
achieve.