The British army is planning to start recruiting inside prisons. Under the scheme inmates sentenced to two years or less could apply to join the army immediately on their release from jail.
The plans mark a total reversal in army policy, which until 31/2 years ago banned all convicted criminals from enlisting.
Those regulations were relaxed in 1996 to allow certain categories of offender to join up, and under the new scheme only those serving sentences for race, sex or drug offences will be excluded. The plans also mean that the army will for the first time be taking a proactive role in recruiting people with a criminal record.
The British Ministry of Defence, which is currently dogged by a major shortfall in numbers joining the armed forces, has disclosed that exploratory talks with young offenders' organisations have already begun. A pilot scheme has been drawn up and is due to begin in the new year at institutions in West Yorkshire, Dover, Kent and Wetherby.
The programme will involve an intensive 12-week training course during which the would-be troops will have to prove their abilities. The course includes physical fitness tests, map-reading, military history and hygiene. The army will then assess applicants who pass the course for suitability as soldiers.
A spokesman said that the army felt that young prisoners "who have paid the price" for their crimes could become valuable assets to the army. "The army is looking for the best new recruits, and if some of these can be found inside young offenders' institutions then so be it. Some excellent young recruits may have made a mistake but have paid for it and deserve a chance to serve their country."
The Shadow Home Secretary, Ms Ann Widdecombe, voiced her support for the scheme, saying: "I think that most people would agree that a spell in the army is the best thing for a lot of these people."
Not everybody is so enthusiastic about the plans, however. "Who will they recruit?" demanded the Shadow Defence Secretary, Mr Iain Duncan Smith. "What types of crime will they have committed? We do not want a situation where hardened young criminals use the armed forces to escape paying their debt to society.
"The government has cut £600 million a year out of the defence budget, with more armed forces more committed around the world. They have driven the Ministry of Defence to desperate measures."