Workin' on a Chain Gang: Hazel Blears has had an idea...

LONDON (Reuters) - British youngsters convicted of crimes that do not carry a jail term could be made to wear U.S.-style "chain-gang" uniforms when they perform community service sentences.

Home Office minister Hazel Blears outlined plans for young offenders to be identifiable when doing community service because she said the public needs to see criminals punished.

"People feel very strongly that they don't often see justice being done," Blears told Sunday's Observer newspaper.

"I would like to see a very quick connection to community punishment, that people see being done. I want them to be identified."

Community sentences typically involve activities such as picking up litter or removing graffiti. The sentences are usually given to offenders convicted of non-violent crimes, such as vandalism or driving without insurance.

Blears' comments come only days after Prime Minister Tony Blair made a crack-down on yobbish anti-social behaviour a key theme to his third term in office.

But the plans were immediately criticised by probation and offenders groups, as well as a human rights lobby group.

Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, said: "We thought the election campaign was over but it seems that the cheap and nasty gimmicks continue.

"How do you engender a culture of respect by degrading people?"

Harry Fletcher, Assistant General Secretary of Probation Officers, said the idea had been considered before but "was always dropped because there was no evidence that it would work".

"Introducing uniforms, caps, badges, or naming and shaming offenders is likely to degrade them, make them resentful and not turn up for community punishment," he said.

"This will mean the breach rate will soar and more will end up in prison which is exactly what has happened in the US."

Chris Stanley, head of policy for the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders, said it could cause vigilante action.

Norman Brennan, director of the Victim's Crime Trust, added: "It is yet another gimmick allowing the Government to mask their woeful record record of cracking down on law and order.