Prisons are super harsh & reform criminals!

[GommeInc]

You do realise this is just one example out of thousands? It won't cover everyone! Loads of people leave prison every day, and many do not re-offend. However, saying that, I think tougher measures should be put on these individuals who have committed murder. I still stand by the "making cell blocks 3x3 m and only have basic requirements. Luxuries should rarely exist Just give 'em books, not TV.

[Camy]

You are incredibly narrow minded, people commit crimes for various reasons and it doesn't mean they are heartless or whatever, if they can redeem themselves then it is fair enough

I agree with this, I'm sure alot of the people in prison didn't mean to cause harm to the people they do, and are forced to turn to crime due to various reasons e.g. drugs.

I don't understand why they don't realise people won't change in prison, when they have better lives in prison than alot of people do on the outside. Three meals a day, xboxes, sky tv, etc.. I think they should lose stuff like xboxes and sky tv, luxuries alot of law abiding people can't afford. It doesn't make sense to me for them to have stuff like that. You can argue that its one of their human rights, but I just feel they don't deserve stuff like that when they break the law, and are meant to be in prison to be punished.

[Hecktix]

I agree with this, I'm sure alot of the people in prison didn't mean to cause harm to the people they do, and are forced to turn to crime due to various reasons e.g. drugs.

I don't understand why they don't realise people won't change in prison, when they have better lives in prison than alot of people do on the outside. Three meals a day, xboxes, sky tv, etc.. I think they should lose stuff like xboxes and sky tv, luxuries alot of law abiding people can't afford. It doesn't make sense to me for them to have stuff like that. You can argue that its one of their human rights, but I just feel they don't deserve stuff like that when they break the law, and are meant to be in prison to be punished.

thing is prison isn't too much of a luxury at all, it has bad social repurcussions (and I don't mean they lose friends) for the prisoners and when they get out they struggle to fit back into the outside world when they are released which usually leads to reoffending. Prisoners too often become institutionalised which is quite bad really.

[-:Undertaker:-]

it's not low compared to other countries. people in prison cost a lot of money too.

We need to properly make sure people aren't driven to crime in early life and when people do come out of prison they are properly rehabilitated. There's no point in putting drug addicts and alcoholics in jail and when they come out they go straight back to their dealers. People often commit crime because they can't get a job or won't get a job - that needs to change.

I don't think any of these methods will actually improve the efficiencies of prisons. Especially building big prisons.

If I am quite honest in my opinion then its my view that crime in general is getting out of hand across the western world because we have gone soft on crime with human rights laws and the rest of the red tape laws. I am pretty sure people would rather their taxes be spent on keeping them safe than on things like foreign aid or the European Union. I am no fan of taxes but there are some things we need taxation for and security and protection are one of the main issues, a governments main job is to protect its people from danger. This country spends a lot more per prisoner than other countries on the continent from what I have heard on the news (both papers and mainstream news channels) and that needs to change to lower the costs.

Many people cannot get a job at the moment and my Dad has lost his job - he isnt committing crime and nor are the majority of the unemployed. The majority dont commit crime so stop making excuses for the criminals. I mean lets just face it in the fact that the vast majority of criminals are utter scum with no respect for the law, no respect for other people and are going to offend over and over again - so the answer is to keep them locked up. I have heard a number of crazy ideas on this rehabilitation idea such as; give them council housing, give them support, give them a job - i'm sorry but the rest of us who abide the law dont have all of this provided for us, so why should criminals be any different? if somebody breaks the law you dont go around rewarding them.

It does [prison] work, if people are in prison they cannot commit the crime and its as simple as that.

You are incredibly narrow minded, people commit crimes for various reasons and it doesn't mean they are heartless or whatever, if they can redeem themselves then it is fair enough

I am not narrow minded, you are narrow minded i'm afraid in that what yourself and the left in general cannot grasp is that people have a choice when committing crime. The rest of us dont have to commit crime even when we are skint/in terrible situations, so why are these people any different? i'm sick to the back teeth of advocates with opinions the likes of yours caring more about the criminal than the victim - try living on a council estate where you are scared to walk out of your home at any given time, try putting yourself in the position of elderly and young people who are scared of going outside in fear of being mugged, try living in a neighbourhood where petty crime drives away jobs and opportunity.. I suspect the likes of Ken Clarke and yourself have never even experienced crime hence why you are determined to be so soft on the subject. Crime is a massive issue, it can ruin areas economically, socially and can trap people in those areas into a life of being on the dole in which their children then follow.

It is not about being heartless,it really is as simple as do the crime do the time.

thing is prison isn't too much of a luxury at all, it has bad social repurcussions (and I don't mean they lose friends) for the prisoners and when they get out they struggle to fit back into the outside world when they are released which usually leads to reoffending. Prisoners too often become institutionalised which is quite bad really.

Oh come off it, do you really think a criminal is going to care? of course not! because if they did they wouldnt commit the crime in the first place.

[alexxxxx]

undertaker you have such a strange simplistic view to everything.

[-:Undertaker:-]

undertaker you have such a strange simplistic view to everything.

I think you'd find that the opposite, i'm not the one advocating talking to criminals and catering for them and their every need. It is ever since we lost our touch on these matters from the 1960s onwards that crime spiralled out of control and respect has been lost - we need to restore that respect.

[Camy]

thing is prison isn't too much of a luxury at all, it has bad social repurcussions (and I don't mean they lose friends) for the prisoners and when they get out they struggle to fit back into the outside world when they are released which usually leads to reoffending. Prisoners too often become institutionalised which is quite bad really.

I guess the fact they will always have that criminal record, which will prevent them from getting good jobs and whatnot doesn't really help them fit back into society, its a bit of a vicious circle. On the other hand, I still don't think prisons are harsh enough, especially on murderers, rapists etc. Theres no real, 'scare factor' I guess you could call it, to not reoffend and go back to prison, which I think the current system is lacking.

[Inseriousity.]

lol the irony is they get caught, go to prison, get taught how not to get caught by people who caught and end up in prison again. It'd be interesting to see how many reoffend and don't get caught (impossible but interesting).

I do not think the rehabilitation system works. It seems to me to give them a few NVQs and then expect them to find their feet. As law-abiding people with qualifications, we know it's hard to find work so imagine having no experience, a few qualifications from prison and a criminal record?!

PS. I do not live in a posh area, it's Middlesbrough LOL, so I do see crime everyday.

[-:Undertaker:-]

I guess the fact they will always have that criminal record, which will prevent them from getting good jobs and whatnot doesn't really help them fit back into society, its a bit of a vicious circle. On the other hand, I still don't think prisons are harsh enough, especially on murderers, rapists etc. Theres no real, 'scare factor' I guess you could call it, to not reoffend and go back to prison, which I think the current system is lacking.

lol the irony is they get caught, go to prison, get taught how not to get caught by people who caught and end up in prison again. It'd be interesting to see how many reoffend and don't get caught (impossible but interesting).

I do not think the rehabilitation system works. It seems to me to give them a few NVQs and then expect them to find their feet. As law-abiding people with qualifications, we know it's hard to find work so imagine having no experience, a few qualifications from prison and a criminal record?!

PS. I do not live in a posh area, it's Middlesbrough LOL, so I do see crime everyday.

To which both come back to the central point which is; dont commit the crime in the first place.

[Swastika]

I think most of you have missed the most important point completely.
We should be helping to stop people from committing crime in the first place, we need communities to join together and work together to fight crime.
We can't just rely on the morons we call the police or the government, because quite clearly they cannot stop crime, we need youth projects and REAL rehabilitation services to those who have become a victim of the times.
Think about it, what makes more sense, locking people up and letting them re-offend, or setting up projects and helping out deprived communities to stop crime at the first stage?
I'm from Middlesbrough, our crime record is high and we're a failing town to put it quite bluntly - set up projects and schemes for these teenagers and young adults falling victim to offending crimes.