Adolescence Dear Sir
| Date | 01 September 1983 |
| Author | John Bolton |
| Published date | 01 September 1983 |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455058303000324 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
120
benefits
in
that
the
offender
discovers
that
he
is
not
alone;
he
has
the
opportunity
of
reinforcement
through
the
sharing
of
positive
common
experi-
ences,
rather
than
regression
to
withdrawal
and
isolation
when
unsuccessful
with
personal
relationships.
He
is
enabled
to
share
the
burden
of
guilt
and
embarrassment
in
an
atmosphere
of
acceptance.
The
group
gives
the
opportunity
of
contributing
towards
helping
others
and
achieving
the
satisfaction
that
giving
to
others
can
produce.
The
article
in
the
Journal
presented
a
very
depressing
picture
of our
work
with
sex
offenders
which
I
doubt
is
reflective
of
the
Service
as
a
whole,
but
hopefully
it
will
stimulate
a
greater
sharing
within
the
Service
of some
of the
work
that
is
being
done
with
this
difficult
category
of
offender.
Yours
faithfully
R.
N.
GODFREY
Probation
Officer,
Torquay
Adolescence
Dear
Sir,
Reading
Richard
Hil’s
review
of
Working
Class
Childhood
(PJ,
June
1983)
reminded
me,
as
one
born
in
1935,
of
a
view
I
often
find
myself
expressing
in
relation
to
adolescence.
The
review
would
indicate
that
Seabrook’s
view
is
founded
on
similar
observation
and
comparison
of
working
class
patterns.
I
can
remember
when
the
school
leaving
age
was
14,
in
my
own
era
it
was
15
and
more
recently
ROSLA has
pushed
it to
16.
In
the
main,
steps
in
the
right
direction.
However,
I
feel
that
if
this
trend
is
seen
in
relation
to
the
lowering
of the
age
of
majority
to
18,
one
begins
to
appreciate
the
compounding
effect
for
those
with
adolescent
problems,
late
development
etc.,
in
addition
to
having
to
come
to
terms
with
the
frustrating
1980’s,
to
say
nothing
of the
well
adjusted.
Is
two
years
sufficient
time
to
expect
them
to
make
the
necessary
transition,
even
in
these
rapidly
changing
days?
I
suggest
not,
but
no
doubt
some
would
cite
authorative
studies
or
views
that
I
am
not
aware
of to
refute
such
argument.
For
myself
I’ll
sample
Seabrook,
hoping
the
book
lives
up
to
expectations.
Yours
sincerely
JOHN BOLTON
Probation
Officer,
Doncaster
Prisoners
on
Remand
The
Prison
Reform
Trust
has
produced
two
reports
on
this
issue.
How
Britam
Imprison
the
Innocent
describes
remand in
custody
as
a
national
disgrace,
representing
the
fastest
growing
section
of the
prison
population,
with
an
average
5-6,000
remand
prisoners
suffering
the
worst
conditions
in
the
prison
system,
m
breach
of
the
European
Convention
on
Human
Rights.
Nearly
one-
half of remand
prisoners
are
either
acquitted
or
receive
non-custochal
sentences.
Even
worse
conditions
prevail
in
police
and
court
cells,
now
used
as
an
overflow
facility
in London.
The
Case
of the
Missing
Body
warns
thatthe
rights
of
accused
persons
will
be
endangered
by
new
rules
allowmg
defendants
to
be
remanded
m
custody
in
their
absence
for
up
to
three
consecutive
hearings.
The
report
states
that
the
real
issue
is
not
frequency
of escort
but
the
mefficient
system
of
manmng
and
co-ordinating
escort
duties.
The
net
result
of the
new
provisions
may
be
an
increase
in
the
period
which
remanded
prisoners
spend
awaiting
trial.
From
PRT,
Nuffield
Lodge,
Regents
Park,
London,
NWI4RS.
Parliament
Penology
Two
reports
have
been
released
m
July
by
the
Parliamentary
All-Party
Penal
Affairs
Group.
Part
timer
Prison
proposes
a
new
system
of
’day
detention’
requiring
offenders
to
attend
centres
on
a
set
number
of
days
m
a
six
month
period.
Also
recommended
are
expenments
m
semi-detention,
mcludmg
weekend
imprisonment
and
the
opportunity
for
short
term
pnsoners
to
hold
their
normal
outside jobs
during
the
day.
These
proposals
follow
a
study
tour
by
the
Group
of
such
projects
in
Belgium
and
Holland.
They
argue
for
an
extension
of
the
attendance
centre
principle
to
older,
more
serious
offenders.
Weekend
sentences
would
have
to
be
served
in
separate
centres,
maintained
either
exclusively
for
this
purpose
or
also for
other
purposes
such
as
holding
remand
prisoners.
Prison
Overcrowding -
An
Agenda
for
Action
makes
four
proposals
for
immediate
action
to
reduce
the
prison
population.
1.
Use
of the
Home
Secretary’s
powers
of
’executive
release’
for
categories
of
non-violent
prisoners
up
to
six
months
early
(reduction
of
7,000)
2.
Reduce
the
parole
threshold
from
twelve
months
to
six
months
(reduction
of 2,500)
3.
A
crash
programme
to
increase
the
number
of
attendance
centres,
so
that
withm
six
months
both
junior
and
senior
centres
are
available
for
both
sexes
in
at
least
all
the
main
centres
of
population
4.
Extra
resources
for the
Probation
Service
to
compensate
for
increased
workload
since
1979.
’If
the
courts
gave
each
main
grade
officer
two
additional
cases
who
would
otherwise
have
received
custodial
sentences,
the
number
of
receptions
could
thereby
be
reduced
by
8,000.’
Both
reports
available
from
169
Clapham
Road,
London,
SW9
OPU,
price 75p
each.
’Life
Skills’
A
training
manual
facilitating
life
and
social
skill
development
in
young
people,
for
teachers,
youth
workers
and
probation
officers.
Available
from
CSV
Advisory
Service,
237,
Pentonville
Road,
London,
N
I
9NJ,
price
£7,
plus
£1.05
postage.
Includes
games,
comic
strips,
role
plays,
activity
sheets
and
film
list.
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