Shame vests for Rochdale criminals

Minor offenders in Rochdale will be forced to wear orange uniforms to carry out their community sentences from today (Tuesday 2 December) and now Rochdale Online readers have the chance to give their thoughts on what community work they want done.

Rochdale is one of 60 towns and cities to become a pioneer area for the new neighbourhood crime and justice scheme, which will see criminals where the so-called 'vests of shame' with the words 'Community payback' written on them.

Rochdale’s Labour Parliamentary Candidate, Simon Danczuk, has welcomed the scheme, saying that it will help make people accountable for the offences they commit, and is urging Rochdale residents to send Rochdale Online their thoughts on what community work they would like to see offenders doing in Rochdale.

“Every idea I receive I will pass on to the Ministry of Justice,” he said. “There are already a lot of good ideas being generated and I want Rochdale people to have their say. The Government Respect Tsar Louise Casey wants people to nominate ‘grot spots’ that they want cleaning up. She would like to see locals being able to phone up a special telephone line or nominate at public meetings areas they wanted cleaned up.

“The community must be able to see justice being done,” Mr Danczuk argued. “This is about fair rules – people who break the law must face the consequences of their actions. I know that a lot of people in Rochdale often don’t know that work being done in their area was actually payback for criminals. These new jackets will show people that work, like cleaning up graffiti, is being done by offenders to pay back their crimes.”

Launching the new community payback tabards, Secretary of State for Justice, Jack Straw, said: "Community punishments like unpaid work can be more productive than prison in getting offenders to stop their criminality. But public confidence in these punishments is lower than it should be, not least because they are less visible than they should be.

"The public, the taxpayer, has an absolute right to know what unpaid work is being done to payback to them for the wrongs the offender has committed. These visibility jackets with the distinctive legend 'Community Payback' are one way in which I am trying to open up this part of the criminal justice system."

To give your ideas on the community work you want to see in your area contact the Rochdale Online newsdesk on 01706 523583 or email news@rochdaleonline.co.uk.