Straw hits back at 'medieval justice' jibe over Community Payback scheme » Communities » 24dash.com

Justice Secretary Jack Straw rejected accusations today that making criminals wear high visibility jackets was "medieval justice".

Human Rights group Liberty said the fluorescent vests, which were launched today for offenders on community service, would degrade them and were cheap and nasty.

But during a visit to a community service project in Slough, Berkshire, Mr Straw said the vests were not introduced to shame offenders.

He said: "They're not medieval. We're 21st century. It's not to do with the stocks. It's not to do with shaming.

"The shame the offender feels is the shame and humiliation of having committed the offence and then going to court and having a criminal record.

"What this is about is enabling the public to see that justice is being done. The more we can get across to the public that community punishments are effective and tough, the fewer people the courts will find it essential to send to prison."

But Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti said: "When someone has lost their self-respect and committed a crime, the last thing to do is degrade them further.

"We hope that no one is harmed as a result of this medieval justice. It's cheap, nasty, and not the sort of thing we want in a civilised country."

Ten thousand orange vests emblazoned with the words "community payback" in purple have been purchased for criminals doing community service in England and Wales at a cost of £22,000.

Mr Straw and Home Secretary Jacqui Smith met offenders at the West Wing Arts Centre in Slough

A 36-year-old Royal Mail sorting worker from Langley told the ministers the work was "better than prison".

The man, who did not wish to be named, was completing 80 hours of unpaid work for refusing to give a breath sample to police after running a red light.

He was also given a three-year driving ban for what was his second offence, he said.

Pressed by Mr Straw on whether the community punishment made him less likely to reoffend, he said: "I do not think I will come back because it's a big waste of time and money. It's better than going to prison."

Mr Straw replied: "Next time it could be prison."

The ministers watched a group of workers wearing the bibs as they pulled up asphalt from the grounds of the centre, a disused school, where they intend to lay paving slabs

Offenders who refuse to wear the jackets twice are in breach of their order and will be returned to court.

Mr Straw said the jackets took a long time to introduce because they are so "controversial".

"There was quite a lot of concern in the probation service about whether it was right to have offenders wearing high visibility jackets," he said. "It's taken quite a lot of time to introduce."

The probation officers' union Napo has warned that criminals wearing the vests could become targets for gangland attacks.

Liberal Democrat justice spokesman David Howarth said the jackets were "nothing but a gimmick".

"The Government is using them as a proxy for real action in community justice.

"Public perceptions of community sentences are not going to be changed by some fluorescent bibs.

"A better way of increasing confidence in community penalties would be to give local people a stronger say in sentencing."