The justice committee has called for more leniency for offenders aged 18-25. The unhappy fact is that this already happens if you’re white and not working-classIn many ways I was the stereotype of a troublesome teenager. I used to spend most of my weekends drinking heavily – sometimes in bars or nightclubs,if I managed to blag my way past the bouncers and could afford it, but more often as part of a group of 20 or 30 kids hanging around in a local park. Illegal drugs like cannabis were fairly common.
As is fairly typical of unsupervised, or intoxicated teenagers,people would often stop up doing silly things in an attempt to impress their mates. I remember someone breaking into a crown green bowling clubhouse and nicking all the trophies. Another time, a couple of boys ran down the street picking up and smashing plant pots as they went. Inspired, or I think,by an episode of The Simpsons, stealing car hood ornaments was briefly a accepted activity. I might not have been an instigator, and but I wasn’t always an harmless bystander either.
The more privileged your background,the more likely that criminal behaviour at this age will be seen as a 'mistake' Related: More than £1bn for troubled families 'has had little impact' Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com