Peoples Republic of South Devon

Crime and Punishment?

February 16th, 2008

posted by Jess Sains

One of the major stories on Spotlight this week has been the demonstrations against a bail hostel, which is planned in Bodmin, Cornwall. It is a classic “not in my back yard” reaction to an integral part of the British justice system.

Inevitably, some of those who are put on probation instead of being locked up in gaol do not have home to return to, whether through relationship break-up or, more likely, through lack of property, full stop. So, where, when offenders are in this position, can ‘society’ put them? Back on the pavement? In a hotel? Or in a bail hostel as is suggested here.

As usual though, none of us are ready to take the actual hostel. ‘They’ll be paedophiles! Muggers! Rapists! A mish-mash of the horror of crime all living right next door,’ they say. ‘Right next door. And I have the right to my “little piece of England” in its entirety and safety without the fear of low-lifes bashing through my windows.’

And so the good people of Bodmin protest. It is a small village, they say; bail hostels shouldn’t be in small villages, of course. Crime is an urban issue, we all know that…

Really, though, what can the state do with those that should be bailed rather than locked up? It is one of the questions that has always troubled my own politics: crime. Firstly, I think that if you removed capitalism you would also remove a great number of the issues that cause crime, most importantly the race of gain money. But that is a book worth of conjecture in itself.

So, let’s scale things down: how would I feel about the bail hostel if it came to my village? I think I would try to have an open mind, because everyone has a right to live their life, but then there is the question of the mob. Small villages have a deep mob mentality, in their way, a self-preservation complex. In some ways this is their charm, their power; in others it is a difficult thing to accept.

The outsider is anyone new, let alone someone on bail. So, surely it makes more sense to place the bail hostel somewhere where it will not be noticed? In the middle of Plymouth, Exeter or Bristol. But surely the countryside and life in a Cornish village is just the tonic? A small, tight-knit community (if such a thing still exists in the current second-home climate) can, as well as scaring the outsider, build values and be a home.

If only the community would allow others to be a part of it then perhaps crime would no longer be an issue. Those who are disenfranchised from society do not sustain its values – nor do I for that matter, but I do believe in the human need for community. After all, think of the times you have smiled at the grumpy shop assistant (rueing their luck, no doubt) and been polite and ended up getting pleasant service in return. Costs nowt. If only we could say the same for crime…

Entry Filed under: Society