Children who offend need our help – not our hatred
However much we sympathise, the fury of those who have been affected by crime should not find its way into government policy, says Mark Johnson
- The Guardian, Wednesday 17 March 2010
The government must not mistake the empathy we feel for Denise Fergus's loss with sympathy for her views, says Mark Johnson.We need to realign services so that we work with offenders or potential offenders earlier in the offending cycle. Earlier interventions are likely to cost far less and be far more effective.
Hating and containing them is easy.
Both are easy vote-catchers.
But these are sick children.
Our object should be to care for them so that they can change and get well.
