Monty Don and those young offenders

[Tigerhair]

I've just watched the first episode... I was so moved. I am pretty sure Martin would still be alive if they had got the first plot of land.

[shiney]

We just caught the end of it. We'll be switching on next week to see the whole thing.

[Martin]

I hope it works for them! - I've long thought that many of the problems of the modern world can be solved by reconnecting with nature - shame about the typical modern "cliffhanger" style of editing (will they?, won't they?, will they get it in time?) - apart from that, an excellent project!

[Surrey Allotmenteer]

What a complete waste of time and money. Money which would be better spent on the victims.Last week the bbc showed a programme about children in this country who with their families were homeless living in b and b's for over 7 months.Why didn't the bbc give these kids a chance to get some fresh air and some country living?? Instead they waste it on drug taking yobs who's problems are self induced. Martin was due in court for aggrevated burglary in other words he beat the victim up before robbing them.Justice would be to lock them up and let them get clean inside or at least attempt to in the drug ridden prisons not giving them the privelige of country living.Think about the victims not the criminals.

[Andy Hamilton]

Surley you are missing the point here somewhat surrey allotment. Even aside from the view that addiction is not an illness - the fact of the matter is that for many drug takers there is no future and when a poweful addiction has taken hold these people are not acting as themselves but as a drug addict.

Even if you don't except that point of view then surley the view that the more addicts that get saved the less crime they will commit and thus it will be helping victims by not having the crimes against them happen in the first place.

I was burgled by a 14 year old heroin addict and also mugged by a gang of crack addicts and I still think that this is a very good venture.

All of these people have not been given chances in their lives - I worked in mental health for 3 years and met many recoveing addicts who would offend and wind up back in the system. The vast magority of them have been through horrors that we can only imagine. Abused by parents, bullied at school, poor education to name but 3 of the most common. The ones who would keep coming back after going back to drugs or drink would more often than not have no support network - imagine no family or friends? - Its no wonder that they took solace in a drug and would do whatever they could do get it.

Our prisons are full enough and they really only act as schools for criminals, if there were more people out there offering emtional and practicle support like Monty is then perhaps we would have less of a problem with violent crime.

Anyway, sorry to go on but it is a subject close to my heart for the reasons I have given. I also notice it is your first post so welcome to the forum.

[Surrey Allotmenteer]

Hi
First of all thanks for the welcome i'm really glad I have found this site after doing a search for pickling beetroot!!!
I understand your point of view and to have those views after your experiences shows you are a very forgiving person.
I just can't see any point in wasting any money on people like those shown in the programme.I have a close relation who works in the prison service and another who works for Surrey Police so I often hear of things the media don't bother to report and its disgusting the way victims of crimes are treated compared to the criminals.Its always a case of caring and looking after the criminal and his rights and sod the victim.
Many many people have rough up bringings and bad experiences but they don't turn to drugs.When have you ever seen a programme or heard of a scheme that says lets give these law abidding youngsters a good time at tax payers expense? We live in a society where cancer sufferers don't get the drugs they need because of the expense yet we give drug taking criminals nice holidays nice days in the country and very very soft prisons which are like holiday camps and they really are like that for the majority of prisoners.
If we had harder stricter prisons with longer sentences we wouldn't have half the reoffending as they would leave prison clean instead we have to pay compensation when they suffer cold turkey in prison!!
I watched a 13 year old child have to cook baked beans on a radiator which took all day because she's been made homeless along with her parents, she hasn't commited a crime but wheres the bbc wheres monty and the other do gooders?

[Martin]

I think the people involved are just as much victims as those that they've robbed!
Addiction is what it says on the tin - a hopeless enslavement to usually a chemical substance - a physical dependance, which is not easily understood by those who have not suffered it themselves. Addiction cuts across all stratas of society, from the crack addicts on the sink estates to the middle-class "functioning alcoholics", and has for too long been the "Cinderella" of the health services. Often there is no treatment offered whatsoever -GPs happily "substitute addictions", often replacing one deadly poison (alcohol or smack) with something even more pernicious in the chemical line
I think Monty is on the right lines - he's dealing with "the dregs" as you see them - I'm convinced you'll see nice human beings slowly uncovered as the weeks go on - as soon as they lose that "monkey on their back", and they see that there may indeed be a life ahead of them, they'll blossom!
I'm not a practising Christian, but I do believe that noone is ever beyond hope, and should be given a chance wherever possible!