'Name and shame' young offenders

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

"It could work, like the medieval system of putting offenders in stocks" was one comment on the proposal by Gordon Brown to 'name and shame' young offenders who are given Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (Asbos).

The plan is that every local authority will be told to publish names and photographs of offenders online and elsewhere.

Stressing that "the consequences for committing anti-social behaviour should be clear", Brown said: "The public have a right to receive information on local individuals who have blighted their communities. So this week I will set out plans to publicise the names and details of those people subject to anti-social behaviour orders, and other orders, using photographs, public leaflets and online."

He went on: "I'm proud of our record, but I will never be satisfied while a single British pensioner hesitates about going out, or a couple think twice before heading into the town centre for a meal. Britain's mainstream majority are rightly angry with the reckless minority."

Louise Burfitt-Dons, founder of the Act Against Bullying charity, said: "It's a bit like the medieval system of putting offenders in stocks. It could work."