Thursday, 6 January 2011

The Next Prison Reform Trust Campaign?

A post at Subrosa's blog a few days ago highlighted an extraordinary waste of our money:
"It's reported West Yorkshire Probation Trust spend nearly £300,000 a year on free bus passes for offenders. The offenders are asked to make a voluntary contribution of £2 towards the cost of each £19.50 pass but last year the council only collected £19,500, leaving a shortfall of £276,500...In a country where pensioners are dying of hypothermia because they're too frightened they won't be able to meet their ever increasing heating bills and at least 500,000 spent Christmas Day in bed to keep warm, why should taxpayers be paying convicted criminals' bus fares? How many other probation trusts - now the responsibility of Criminal Justice Social Work Services in Scotland - do this throughout the UK?"
A good question.
A convicted drug dealer is a wanted man after failing to appear at court for sentencing because he did not have enough transport money.
*sigh*
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4 comments:

  1. Rob6 January 2011 at 13:52

    Alas, my season ticket for the train is wholly involuntary. The only voluntary part is that of the train company, who may or may not be arsed to run the trains

    WV: nonsesto

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  2. Anonymous6 January 2011 at 19:15

    As a Probation Officer who has worked in various towns and cities, I can confirm that ALL probation areas (sorry, taxpayers) pay for offenders bus travel.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lurkio6 January 2011 at 23:44

    Reading this blog is bad for my health.

    But thank you for bringing this to light.

    ReplyDelete
  4. JuliaM7 January 2011 at 05:40

    "As a Probation Officer who has worked in various towns and cities, I can confirm that ALL probation areas (sorry, taxpayers) pay for offenders bus travel."

    GAH!!!!

    "Reading this blog is bad for my health."

    Writing it isn't doing my blood pressure any good, that's for sure! :)

    ReplyDelete