Payback: Criminals clearing up Hull footpaths
CRIMINALS are clearing up footpaths across the city.
Offenders are cutting back overgrown hedges and resurfacing paths along the Trans Pennine Trail and the River Hull.
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Improvements: Criminals, pictured with community payback supervisor Dave Moore, are clearing footpaths across the city as part of the Greener Neighbourhoods Hull project. Picture: Kate Woolhouse
It is part of a new project called Greener Neighbourhoods Hull, which uses unemployed criminals who have been sentenced to more than 200 hours of unpaid work to improve the environment.
Simon Merritt, manager of Greener Neighbourhoods, said: "We want to provide tough, demanding and meaningful community work and improve the environment.
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"We work on projects that have a start and end point to provide the offenders with job satisfaction when they see what they have achieved.
"It can be an introduction to the value of hard work and we hope to give them some of the skills they need to be able to find work."
Offenders have already resurfaced footpaths along the River Hull, near Clough Road.
They are currently working on clearing overgrowth and repairing fences on the Trans Pennine Way, near Hessle.
Mr Merritt said: "It is going really well so far. All of the offenders are really enjoying it and they all get involved in some way.
"The project really works because it makes them feel part of the community. Much of the work needs doing, and is recommended to us by the city council, but they can't do it because of a lack of funds or other reasons.
"That means we can work to improve areas that wouldn't have been worked on otherwise."
The project is currently being delivered by Hull Citysafe and Humberside Probation Trust, but it is in the process of becoming a registered charity.
Mr Merritt said: "That will mean we can apply for funds to provide more training to improve their skills and increase the likelihood of them getting a job and potentially end the cycle of reoffending."
The offenders involved in the project have all been given court orders that include at least 200 hours of unpaid work.
Typically, they work for seven hours a day, three days a week. While working, offenders wear orange vests featuring the words Community Payback.
About 100 offenders have been part of the project so far.
Kate Munson, director of probation at Humberside Probation Trust, said: "The Greener Neighbourhoods project provides challenging training and work experiences, which also benefit the community and enables offenders to make reparation for their crimes.
"The project is contributing to reducing reoffending and preventing further victims of crime within Hull."
Comments
by Wrecker
Sunday, October 07 2012, 9:04PM
“I know the big fella. He looked after me when I'd got probation after serving my bird. He did spend a lot of time in the chip shop though!”
by Prescotts_Cat
Sunday, October 07 2012, 5:27PM
“How did the three politicians get time off from ministerial duties?”
by David_Nivea
Sunday, October 07 2012, 2:01PM
“@by SPBlakeneySaturday, October 06 2012, 11:51PM
"David_Nivea, you're as amusing as a hernia, as interesting as the latest EU newsletter and yet as irritating, daily, as a 24 hour Graham Norton chat show marathon."
I'm not trying to be amusing or interesting, and irritation, as beauty is contained in the eye, is in the mind of the beholder.
Nobody makes you read my posts, except you yourself: please feel free to ignore them.
Who is Graham Norton, btw?”
by MimiTheDJ
Sunday, October 07 2012, 1:37PM
“They said to them "You're all going to be appearing in the Mail"
They Replied "Brilliant, we'll give it our best smile".
"No you won't, we're taking the pic on the rare minute or two that you're doing some work"”
by SPBlakeney
Saturday, October 06 2012, 11:51PM
“David_Nivea, you're as amusing as a hernia, as interesting as the latest EU newsletter and yet as irritating, daily, as a 24 hour Graham Norton chat show marathon.”
by BevRoadNorth
Saturday, October 06 2012, 11:48PM
“"All of the offenders are really enjoying it"-yes, thats the priority isnt it, not those in the community suffering the feelings of having their homes intruded upon, being threatened, property damaged...British 'justice', it surely must drive terror into the hearts of villains everywhere.”
by noseyparker87
Saturday, October 06 2012, 11:16PM
“Thank you Demonica666, I really hope so.”
by Demonica666
Saturday, October 06 2012, 10:35PM
“@noseyparker87; with a philosophy like yours, it will not be long before you are back in employment. Good luck with your job hunt. Anyone reading these forums with vacancies would be wise to contact you. More power to you. :-)”
by dontwo
Saturday, October 06 2012, 10:19PM
“They are criminals at the end of the day and you cant trust a word they say, so as for them most probably telling Dave Moore how they got satisfaction or how it made them realise the error of their ways should be taken with a massive pinch of salt. Most would sell their grannies if they could, and swear on a stack of bibles if they thought it would get them off the hook.
The only time they feel any sense of satisfaction is when they think they got away with their latest crime.
Bet Simon Merritt has never invited these potentially "reformed" lads to his house for a cup of tea. Wonder why?. The mention of charity and being able to apply for "funds" suggests to me what this scheme is really all about. Money.”
by PeeScooper
Saturday, October 06 2012, 1:40PM
“Definitely need to see more of this...I travelled in the middle east and it was such a beautifully clean country, know why? Because they have their inmates on chain gangs cleaning it! I don't recommend chain gangs here (well..maybe!) but I reckon this is a good way of letting some guys who maybe have just strayed from the straight and narrow, feel like they're contributing something to the community.”