Life lessons: community service can help control crime


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The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department has issued its first community-­service sentence to a young man for reckless driving, hitting a pedestrian by accident and putting the lives of bystanders in danger. This sentence was in line with a recent update to the UAE’s federal penal code. No specifics were given regarding the length of this specific sentence, but according to high-­level details regarding community service, it will now be used to punish certain offences for no less than six months. Recent community-service sentences in other emirates ranged from one to three months.

Personally, I think this sends a strong message to the youth and community. When the department went public with this specific case, it showed pictures of the young man dressed in his overalls, one portrait shot and one of him working. Given the fact that the last time I saw pictures of people sentenced for crimes was when I was in high school – when they used to publish photographs in the newspaper of men who were harassing women in public places – this is a big deal.

The news of a community-­service sentence is refreshing; it’s the introduction of a middle ground, without which jail time was the default punishment. Jail time, however, could worsen a person’s attitude towards the law and living a productive life. Imagine a petty offender, such as someone who drove recklessly, in prison alongside hardened criminals, where he or she is in a dangerous environment. It is likely that they will be overwhelmed and perhaps even drawn to that lifestyle.

It is said that boredom is the devil’s playground. I think there is some correlation between the fact that this young man was unemployed and that he ended up driving recklessly in public. So what would sending him to jail do?

When he comes out, he will have a criminal record, not be able to get a job, not be able to get financial help from a bank, not be eligible for benefits, and, in our culture, have a hard time finding a woman whose father will give him her hand.

So what is he to do? Well, he would need to survive, and, unfortunately, in that situation, a life of crime can seem like the only thing that will pay the bills.

In a report by the Office of Justice Programs in the United States, it was found that the rate of recidivism, the tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend upon being release from prison, was highest among those arrested for non-violent offences (82 per cent repeat rate), such a property crimes, shoplifting and motor theft; or public-­order crimes, such as gambling or driving under the influence (74 per cent).

I share these statistics not to say the every non-violent crime should be treated with community service, but that other options of discipline and correction should be available when prison isn’t the best solution.

In this case the man was unemployed; through this community service, he is getting a “job”: cleaning the streets. It’s unpaid, but it’s still work that requires him to fulfil certain duties for a certain period of time. This teaches him the importance of responsibility and the value of hard work.

More essentially, and I think we are now getting to the heart of the matter, it shows him the impact he can have on the community; at the end of every day, he can look back on the clean street and know that he is responsible for how it looks.

Furthermore, his work could show him that, regardless of how he feels about himself, his life means something, he serves a purpose that can help, and is helping, others. The goal is for him not to feel like a criminal, but to understand and acknowledge that he made a mistake, and that with enough of an effort he can make a fresh start and focus on the future again.

The key word in community service is “community”. I think, above all, what is important for offenders who are sentenced with community service is to believe that they are still part of the wider community, that they are not alone. That is what makes this move so powerful.

Khalid Al Ameri is an Emirati columnist and social commentator. He lives in Abu Dhabi with his wife and two sons.

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The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


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Based: Abu Dhabi

Founded: January 2019

Number of employees: 10

Sector: Technology/Social media 

Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support

 

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Date Started: May 2015

Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui

Based: Dubai, UAE

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Funding: about $8m

Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures

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Launched: February 2020

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Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings

Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year

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Omar Hussein (PAL) beat Vitalii Stoian (UKR) by unanimous decision.

Welterweight
Josh Togo (LEB) beat Ali Dyusenov (UZB) by unanimous decision.

Flyweight
Isaac Pimentel (BRA) beat Delfin Nawen (PHI) TKO round-3.

Catchweight 80kg​​​​​​​
Seb Eubank (GBR) beat Emad Hanbali (SYR) KO round 1.

Lightweight
Mohammad Yahya (UAE) beat Ramadan Noaman (EGY) TKO round 2.

Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) beat Reydon Romero (PHI) submission 1.

Welterweight
Juho Valamaa (FIN) beat Ahmed Labban (LEB) by unanimous decision.

Featherweight
Elias Boudegzdame (ALG) beat Austin Arnett (USA) by unanimous decision.

Super heavyweight
Maciej Sosnowski (POL) beat Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) by submission round 1.

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Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

THE BIO: Mohammed Ashiq Ali

Proudest achievement: “I came to a new country and started this shop”

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Family: six sons in Dubai and a daughter in Faisalabad

 

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Name: Akeed

Based: Muscat

Launch year: 2018

Number of employees: 40

Sector: Online food delivery

Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception 

Secret Nation: The Hidden Armenians of Turkey
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