The Government's 'Sin Bins'

The Telegraph reports that tens of thousands of the 'worst families in England' are to be put in "sin bins" to improve their behaviour, under a government scheme.

The Government, still mired in corruption allegations following the expenses scandal, a Government so morally impeccable that they vote for abortion on demand, embryonic experimentation, gay civil partnerships and adoptions, dish out condoms to kids and a Government that is doubtless paving the way for euthansia laws to be implemented soon, have suddenly decided to believe in sin.

But the only sinners in the UK, as far as the Government is concerned, are 'problem families' who suffer poverty, exclusion and suffer from the associated drug and alcohol problems so often present in 'sink estates'. Oh, and people who put chewing gum on the pavement...these are the worst sinners of all. This Government only believe in any kind of morality when it suits them and they are far more shameless than any of the families that they look down upon.

'Under the Government scheme, members of "Shameless" families are given intensive 24-hour supervision to make sure children attend school, go to bed on time and eat proper meals.

Parents are also given help to stop them leading dysfunctional lives and to combat drug or alcohol addiction. Around 2,000 families have gone through Family Intervention Projects, but ministers intend to increase its scope to 20,000 more in the next two years – each costing between £5,000 and £20,000.

Ministers hope expanding the scheme will reduce the number of youngsters who become drawn into lives of crime because of their chaotic family lives. The projects are operating in around half of all council areas, but Children's Secretary Ed Balls said he wanted every local authority to fund them.

"This is pretty tough and non-negotiable support for families to get to the root of the problem," he said. "There should be Family Intervention Projects in every local authority area because every area has families that need that support."

Expanding the projects is part of moves aimed at reducing youth crime revealed in the Government's Youth Crime Action Plan.'

24 hour supervision? Families will have their own live-in 'supervisor'? At ATD Fourth World, families were crying out for state support. That is support of a caring nature, rather than belittlement or humiliation. The support that ATD Fourth World offered, in the absence of real help or support from social services was a lifeline to families in London and beyond. The organisation was set up by Fr Joseph Wresinski, who had himself been raised in deep poverty.

Of course, nobody is suggesting that all is well in poor families or communities blighted by poverty. It just sounds as if the Government is about to launch a War on Poverty, which like every war the Government launches, like the 'War on Terror', or even the 'War on Obesity', will doubtless result in, if not bloodshed, then more pain and suffering for families, rather than actual family support of any good whatsoever.

Think I am over-reacting? Well, this is from the Home Office website detailing the plans...

'The use of sanctions is an important lever for motivating families to change. Demoting tenancies or gaining possession orders suspended on the basis of compliance with the projects or, for some, the very real prospect of children being taken into care, can provide the wake up call to take the help on offer. Too often these families have been told that action will be taken but is then not followed through, creating a sense among family members that they are untouchable.'

The great problem with secularism, the great poverty of secularism is that it always fails to treat the weakest and most excluded with dignity and it always ends up in a War on someone. Secularism fails to attribute to whole communities, nevermind individuals and families, their true dignity as children of God. That is why this Government will fail in every attempt to wrestle with poverty and social exclusion. It is happening already of course, but more and more, the very poor will be criminalised, and yes, this will result in an increase of children being removed from their families, being placed into care and put up for adoption. I have a good interview on this subject coming up with a lady I met living in Moulescomb coming up and will post it soon. The true stories of people living in poverty must be told and this is as good a place to tell it as any.