Riots report: The young need more chances

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LONDON, March 28 (UPI) -- Britain needs "communities that work" to provide education and opportunities for young people to avoid a repeat of last year's riots, a report Tuesday said.

The Riots Communities and Victims Panel made a number of recommendations, including fining schools that do a poor job of teaching reading, and a jobs program, The Guardian reported. The report said too many people do not have "a stake in society."

"When people don't feel they have a reason to stay out of trouble, the consequences for communities can be devastating -- as we saw last August," the committee chairman, Darra Singh, said.

The riots began as protests against a police shooting in North London and quickly spread to other parts of the capital and then to other major cities, including Manchester and Birmingham. The government has responded with harsh sentences for those convicted of looting.

The report blamed poor parenting, materialism, lack of support for the police and other factors. But it also suggested poor families need more help.

"The key to avoiding future riots is to have communities that work," the report said.

The committee was appointed by Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.