Community payback jackets

[Peppergirl]

Possibly an 'apples-to-oranges' comparison, but what do you all think of the special plates that DUI offenders have to have in certain states?

Some of us refer to them as 'party plates' here in Ohio.

[Flyndaran]

Possibly an 'apples-to-oranges' comparison, but what do you all think of the special plates that DUI offenders have to have in certain states?

Some of us refer to them as 'party plates' here in Ohio.

I would rather that they not be allowed to drive at all or at least until they prove that they have successfully stopped drinking.
As a provision of parole I accept some restrictions, but after that, then no, I don't like such labels.

[Boozy]

I asked my husband about the deterrent efect of these jackets. He has a degree in criminology/psychology, so I figured he might have covered this in school to some extent.

Anyway, here's his take: Most criminology studies indicate that public humiliation does not generally have a future deterrent effect on those who are experiencing it. However, it absolutely has a deterrent effect on those who are witnessing it... providing it is done correctly. It's important for witnesses to understand the nature of the person's crime.

For example, let's say I drive by a bunch of people in these community payback jackets picking garbage off the side of the road. I assume that they are there because of drug or prostitution charges, since their jackets don't indicate either way. I think they're a sorry bunch of suckers, then toss my coffee cup out the window and park beside a fire hydrant. However, if their jackets clearly indicated that they were there for littering asnd parking illegally, I probably wouldn't have done those things.

(I'm a real bitch in my example, but I wouldn't really do those things. )

So there can be a deterrent effect, especially when it comes to the drunk driving plates. Personally I still can't stomach the idea. Deterrence is only one variable when creating a system of justice. Cutting off people's hands for shoplifting would also have a deterrent effect, but it's savage.