Unit 08 Crime and Punishment

Unit 8 Page 74 READING exercise 4 POACHERS ARRESTED Anti-poaching agents in Limpopo, South Africa caught two poachers as they tried to kill lions at the Letaba River Wildlife Reserve Park last Sunday evening. The agents had received information about the planned attack and made plans of their own to catch the criminals in the act. Under a full moon, the poachers broke into the park where the agents were waiting. They jumped on the poachers as they approached the cages where the lions were kept for their own protection. After a short fight, in which one of the poachers used a knife, the agents were able to arrest the two men. One of the agents said that they had searched the men's rucksacks and had found poisoned dead chickens and wire cutting equipment. He explained how poachers throw the chickens to the lions, wait for the lions to eat the chickens, and then return when the animals are dead. He also said that the poachers could sell the dead animals for over $3,500. The poachers are now in jail awaiting trial. The prisoners are facing charges of attempted poaching, possession of a dangerous weapon and attempted murder. If found guilty, they could go to prison for up to ten years. An anti-poaching agent said he hoped this would be a warning to other poachers and help in their fight against one of their country's most serious problems. CAUGHT RED-HANDED In another part of Limpopo, three rhino horn smugglers have been caught red-handed by members of the Limpopo Endangered Species Unit. The agents had received information the men were trying to sell the illegal item. As they approached the men's car, it drove away quickly and a large item was thrown from the window. While one agent got the item, which turned out to be the horn, others chased and caught the three men. Two of the men, who are brothers, were already known to the agents. They had been arrested in 2014 for rhino poaching but had not been sent to prison and were let go. This time agents are hoping they will finally be sent to prison. They believe the horn comes from a rhino that was shot dead a week ago in a nearby area. Agents said they were going to send the horn for testing to see if they are right. Rhino poaching continues to be a huge problem in many southern African countries as the demand for their horns increases around the world. But South African law officers are determined to protect the animals and are spending more money to catch those committing the crimes. An official from the department of environmental affairs said that the situation was improving and that the number of rhino deaths in 2016 had fallen since the record number of over 1,200 in 2014. They also said they are using modern technology in their fight. One technique is to put a dye into the rhino's horns, which is poisonous for humans but perfectly safe for the rhinos.

Page 77 LISTENING exercise 7 and 8 This is Radio 24 and today we're looking at a programme called Restoring Justice. It's an unusual way to try and help people change – people who would normally go to prison. Listen to one of them, Jason Wilkins. He's 17 and he got arrested for mugging somebody. Well, I was in court and I knew I was gonna go to prison ... and I was feeling awful about it. And then the judge said he'd give me a choice. I didn't understand what he meant. He asked me whether I wanted to go to prison for six months, or join a special programme called Restoring Justice. He said the programme would last for six months and it meant I'd have several meetings with the woman I'd mugged. He told me to think carefully about my choices. I was ... I really didn't know what to say ... um ... I didn't want to meet her again ... but then, of course, I definitely didn't want to go to prison, so I said I'd join the programme. Ken Simmons, you're a social worker on this programme. Can you tell us more about it? The idea behind this programme is that people who've stolen something or mugged somebody, but haven't attacked their victims physically ... well, they get a chance to see what they've done through the eyes of their victim. We're hoping that this helps them to think more the next time they get into a similar situation. The first time I met Mrs Schwartz – the woman I mugged – was very difficult. At the meeting, Ken, my social worker, was also there and then my mum and dad. I was terrified about meeting Mrs Schwartz, but she kind of helped ... um ... the first thing she said was that she wasn't going to get angry with me. Here's what she said when we spoke to her. I wasn't keen on the idea of meeting my mugger, I must say. The experience had already been frightening enough. But then I thought, 'Well, we'd all like a country with less crime, wouldn't we? And who knows? Maybe I can make a contribution to that.' I was also rather nervous, but I really felt I wanted to try and change his ways. Well, now I've met Mrs Schwartz three times, and I've learnt a lot from her. I can really say that. I'll never forget when she looked me in the eye and asked me why I'd done it. I told her that I wanted some money to spend. And the moment I said that, I thought how stupid I'd been to mug somebody because I wanted to buy some stuff. The second time, she asked me if I knew who'd suffered most from what I'd done. And I said to her, 'You of course!' She just said that no, it wasn't her, and asked me to look at the other side of the table, where my mum and dad were sitting. I knew immediately what she meant.

Page 78 READING exercise 2 EATING OUT BEHIND BARS Next time you're looking for a special evening out, why not invite someone special to eat out with you at one of the Clink restaurants? They offer delicious, beautifully cooked dishes, but this is fine dining with a difference, because these are no ordinary restaurants. The Clink restaurants are found inside four of the UK's most famous prisons; High Down, Brixton, Cardiff and Styal, so your waiter might be a burglar and your food might have been cooked by a robber. Because the restaurants are actually inside the prison walls, anyone wanting to eat out in one of the Clink prisons has to agree to go through a special security check first. The man behind the idea is Chef Alberto Crisci, who was looking for a way to help prisoners make the most of their time inside by studying for professional cooking qualifications. He also wanted to offer members of the public a chance to eat out somewhere truly different, so he set up the Clink charity to make all this happen. The idea is to encourage prisoners to learn how to do a new job while they are in prison. When they are released from prison with their newly earned qualifications, they can persuade restaurant owners to give them a job. It is hoped that then they will be less likely to commit crimes in the future. Supporters of the restaurants claim that it really works. They explain that only 16% of prisoners who have worked in the Clink restaurants commit crimes in the year after they are released – compared to the national average of 25% of adult prisoners. Some critics refuse to accept these figures. They say that only the prisoners who are likely not to return to crime are chosen to work in the restaurants. But the organisers of the charity are not worried by this argument. They have plenty more evidence to show how successful they are. In 2018, 361 prisoners were trained in the Clink restaurants and 142 earned a professional qualification; 78 out of 112 ex-prisoners who had worked in Clink found jobs on release and 250 restaurants said they were happy to take on graduates from the training programme. One graduate even made a successful appearance on the TV cookery show Bake Off: The Professionals. So if you're looking for a great meal out and like the idea of helping a criminal make a new start, one of the Clink restaurants might just be the place you're looking for. But I'd recommend that you book early. The restaurants are extremely popular.

Page 80 Culture exercise 2 FAMOUS PRISONS 1 ROBBEN ISLAND, south AFRICA Robben Island is known all over the world because of one of its former prisoners. From 1964 until 1982 this island prison, 11km off the coast of Cape Town, was home to perhaps the most famous prisoner in the world, Nelson Mandela, who in 1994 became the first black president of his country. Robben Island was used mainly for political prisoners and more than 3,000 of them spent time there before it was finally closed in 1996. These days it is a museum and it is visited by thousands of tourists each year. 2 ALCATRAZ, US Another island that was home to a prison is Alcatraz, which is situated 2km off the coast of San Francisco. Probably America's most well-known prison, Alcatraz had many famous inmates, such as the gangster AI Capone and Robert 'Birdman' Stroud, a murderer who was also one of the country's biggest experts on birds. Alcatraz closed in 1963 and in its 29 years of being a prison, no one ever escaped, although 36 prisoners tried. These days it is open to the public and tourists can take a short boat journey across the San Francisco bay to visit it. 3 THE TOWER OF LONDON, UK The Tower of London, which was built in the 11th century, is now one of the city's most popular tourist attractions, with people coming from all over the world to see the Crown Jewels that are kept inside it. However, up until the mid 20 century, it was a prison and home to many famous prisoners, including King Henry VI and two of King Henry VIII's wives, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, who were also both executed in the Tower. Visitors see the cells and enjoy interactive displays that show what life was like in this ancient prison. 4 CHATEAU D'IF, FRANCE Although Chateau d'lf is a real island, most people know of it because of a fictional prisoner. The island prison, which is situated off the coast of Marseilles in the south of France, was home to many criminals from the mid 17th century to the end of the 19th century, but it is really famous for one prisoner who was never actually there. In his novel The Count of Monte Cristo, French author Alexandre Dumas tells the story of Edmond Dantes, an innocent man who is sent to the prison for a crime he did not commit. In the book, Dantes manages to escape, something that no prisoner was ever able to do in real life. 5 DEVILS ISLAND, FRENCH GUIANA Devil's Island is off the coast of French Guiana in the Caribbean. For the hundred years that it was open, it was known as one of the toughest prisons in the world and fewer than 25% of all prisoners who went there left the island alive. The prison was set in the middle of a jungle and the waters around it were full of man-eating sharks, which made escape almost impossible. One man who managed to escape and write a book about his experiences was Henri Charrière and the film Papillon tells his story. Since it was closed in 1953, Devil's Island has become a tourist attraction for passengers on the many cruise ships that pass nearby. Page 81 LISTENING exercise 6 and 7 Conversation 1 You'll never guess what. What? Someone broke into our house the other day. No way! Yes, we'd just got back from the cinema and we saw the front door open. I knew what had happened immediately. What did they take? They didn't take anything, but they left the house in a real mess. Conversation 2 You won't believe what happened to me last week. Tell me. I was walking down the street when this man just took my phone out of my back pocket and ran away. What?! Yes. He was gone before I could do anything. Did you report it to the police? Yes. They said it's happening a lot at the moment. Conversation 3 I heard a really sad story about an old lady. She was conned and lost her life savings. Really? Yes. Someone rang her up and offered her an amazing deal to buy property in London. Right ... So she transferred all her money into this bank account and, of course, she never heard from the man again. That's awful. Old people are very vulnerable. I know. It makes me worried about my grandparents. It's just the sort of thing that could happen to them. Conversation 4 There was a scary story in the paper the other day. It was about gangs of teenagers going into shops and stealing clothes. How? Well, a couple of them start an argument in the shop and the others use this as a chance to take stuff. I'd better warn my uncle. He's got a clothes shop. Yes, tell him to be extra careful at the moment. Page 81 PRONUNCIATION exercise 1 and 2 You're not going to believe this. Tell me. School's closed for the rest of the term! What? The police said there was an urgent situation but didn't give any details. That's awful! And the head teacher said she's extremely sorry but there's nothing she can do! Really? Page 81 PRONUNCIATION exercise 3 You're not going to believe this. Tell me. School's closed for the rest of the term! What? The police said there was an urgent situation but didn't give any details. That's awful! And the head teacher said she's extremely sorry but there's nothing she can do! Really?

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