ASBOs can prove to be effective (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

ASBOs can prove to be effective

11:20am Monday 8th June 2009 in Our View By Telegraph & Argus

For many people, Anti Social Behaviour Orders, more commonly known as ASBOs, are the soft options dished out to offenders who should be given much stiffer sentences.

It is true that ASBOs and similar sentencing options were designed to reduce the numbers of people being put into the prison system but we should not automatically think of that as a bad thing.

There are far too many people in prisons, and if lower level offenders can be dealt with properly without the need for custodial sentences, then that should be welcomed.

ASBOs have proved effective in keeping repeat offenders out of certain areas where they have caused persistent nuisance, or for ensuring noisy or abusive neighbours keep the volume down.

And, in the case of Scott Snowden, who is featured in today’s Telegraph & Argus, the ASBO he was given has proved to have long-lasting and positive effects.

Trapped in the mire of an expensive drug habit which he was turning to crime to fund, Scott could have quite easily been given a jail sentence which would have done nothing to fix the root causes of his offending.

Instead, with his ASBO, he has been forced to confront his own cycle of crime while remaining in his community and being encouraged to think about what effect his offending was having on others.

It seems to have worked. Scott says quite seriously that the ASBO saved his life; the team responsible for enforcing the orders have cancelled his ASBO early, so impressed are they with his progress towards being reintegrated into society.

Let’s hope his success convinces others in his position that change is possible – and changes the minds of the ASBO doubters too.