Seems like a good idea to me....
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Sent: 03 February 2009 17:49
Sent: 03 February 2009 17:49
Criminals may have details of their convictions and sentences printed on posters under a proposal justice ministers agreed to consider today.
Justice Secretary Jack Straw has already committed to publishing the results of court cases online.
But junior minister Bridget Prentice said there was a need to look "as wide as possible" so potential criminals know the consequences of their actions.
At Commons question time she said: "The outcomes of criminal justice cases are provided free of charge to local newspapers, who play a key role in providing information to their communities.
"The Secretary of State has already announced that he intends to publish the final outcome of criminal court hearings on a public-facing website."
But Labour's Sharon Hodgson (Gateshead E and Washington W) said: "Any potential deterrent effect is going to be for the people who may go on to commit these crimes, then they need to see this information.
"I can't imagine that many of them will log on, go online to see what the sentence may be."
She asked Ms Prentice: "Will you consider using a poster campaign or taking out adverts in national newspapers in order that the perpetrators will know that they will be caught and what the consequences will be for their own lives?"
The minister told her: "I do think you have offered a very helpful and constructive suggestion and it's certainly one that we will look at.
"I have seen national advertising campaigns, for example in and around London - particularly on gun and knife crime - which I think are very effective."
She said in her Lewisham East constituency the police safer neighbourhood team's newsletter contained details of offenders and their sentences.
Ms Prentice added: "I think we should look as wide as possible as to how to make sure that everyone, both the victim and the offender, are aware of what the cost of crime really is."
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