Detention centres of the 80's

[spankingtexan]

Did the short sharp shock ever work? Detention centres or DC were the prefered puishment of the times, did it truly prevent youth crime in it's day?

As a 19 year old in February 1981 I was one who experienced this brutal regime not unlike the tv drama scum. My crime was having a scrap on the streets that led to a 3 month DC sentence at the notorious north sea camp in Boston. Nothing to be proud about but I feel anger at the system for such harsh treatment for being a boy.....boys will be boys and I feel that these sentences were far to harsh, don't get me wrong though, I also understand I deserved to be punished for my crime but the harshness of the sentence was disproportionate. Point being I still feel angry at the system to this day.

 

[spankingtexan]

Did you 'reoffend'? Serious question. You experienced the solution of the time, how has it affected you?

I'm afraid I did get a little worse before I got better but just wanted to hit back, I did cope very well during my stay at north sea and funnily enough did enjoy some of the drills, but the real anger came from some of the screws who didn't think twice about assaulting inmates, the night watchman was a real *******, he'd come round at night and just wack people with a big heavy clock he used to carry, he was nicknamed basher brown.
As for the affects, It just made me more rebellious and I think that has carried through to this day, although it is controlled and effectively administered in the way of bombarding Downing street with countless letters of complaints.