"Dear Mr Gove
I work in a Probation Office - as a Programmes Administrator, now with one of the new CRC's.
My idea came out of hearing the BBC News recently, an item about the general lack of people knowledgeable in CPR lifesaving techniques. It occurred to me that it could be a win-win situation, if every offender given a custodial or community sentence be required to complete a short 'Save A Life' Programme - as a RAR, or part of every Community Payback Order, Post Sentence Supervision, or Licence on release from custody.
If this was a compulsory condition, think how beneficial it would be ... The Programme could be delivered by 'outside agencies' so needn't take up Probation time. It would be an important life skill - literally. It could be good for offenders' self worth and self confidence - and mean that everyone, regardless of what they had done, their background, where they had come from, or where they were going - would have the ability to save a life - possibly 'paying back in the ultimate way'.
The general Programme could be created to cover CPR, and other useful first aid/life saving actions - such as choking recovery, stopping blood loss, recovery position, and use of community defibrillators.
I hope you will seriously consider this idea, and how it could be implemented to help our society, and also give a positive role to all offenders. It could be very good from a criminal justice system PR point of view - never easy when it comes to the perceptions of the general public and offenders! Imagine: 'He once shoplifted, but last week he saved a child's life'."
I have had no response or acknowledgement from Michael Gove's office as yet, but I would like to see how much enthusiasm there is out there for this as an idea? If I do ever get a response from the Justice Secretary, I will let you know ... but I'm not holding my breath!
In my experience to get a response from a Government Minister it is necessary to contact one's own constituency Member of Parliament or possibly a member of the House of Lords. There is a convention about such matters, though again in my experience such a letter will eventually receive a response from a Civil Servant in the Lord Chancellor's Department.
ReplyDeleteIt is an interesting idea - though I believe determining such matters as part of a sentence, should ONLY be for a Court to do, possibly on the advice of a probation worker - otherwise, in my opinion it would be fine to invite supervisees to voluntarily undertake such training - though I am not sure that it should be completely separate from engagement with probation workers, but I guess different arrangements will suit different people and situations.
Well done for publicising the idea, have you considered proposing a motion at your Trade Union's branch meeting to test the idea among colleagues and to aid your campaign? I wish you well and hope you are successful in pursuing the idea.