(V): Im not talking about them being on the streets or not, although I can agree that jail alone, without rehab and training is no good.

But I dont want to pay them welfare either, after they have been the ones to choose a life of crime and drugs over hard productive work. i would prefer, if my money is to pay for anything, to put them in jail for rehab and training and they get out to a job of some sort, to me that is the best form of welfare!

But to give people money and stamps for food and extending insurance, without much control over how they are used etc, that doesnt make sense to anyone except the good ol government that liberals so hoipefully support.

Why not, after unemployment insurance runs out, and you have not found a new job, then some money for retraining or the like, but to keep throwing good money away, it just doesnt make any sense.

Czuch: You know, one of the European countries on certain low risk crimes has the offender work as per normal during the week and has to goto jail at the weekends!! Part of their earnings goes to repay their debt.

Over here, the rules regarding unemployment benefit (or job seekers allowance as they call it now) is that you have to prove you are actually looking for a job. They expect you to keep records of you job searching And if after so long you've not got a job then you are expected to attend courses to improve your chances or lose a percentage of your benefit. You can also apply to get specific training for a certain job (such as specialist driving courses (HGV and Forklift), refresher courses for those who want to get back into a career they haven't done for a while, etc, etc.

But this is just what consecutive Conservative and Labour governments have implemented and added onto to cut down on those who in the past thought it was easy money!!