'Radical' prison changes.

Edrof

Edrof

Edrof

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/10457112.stm

Personally, I reckon we should figure out a way to make proper money off our prisoners: chain gangs working on publich works would be great. Shame it would be unimplementable in this country.

I'm all for public humiliation, too. You don't tough shovelling **** up by the roadside now do you, ya granny-mugging chav?!
 
Something similar to America? Where they get inmates working?

Would be a good idea.

I saw a load of convicts when I was in Amercia with the prison guards with guns and them all chained together!
 
anticonscience said:
Something similar to America? Where they get inmates working?

Would be a good idea.

I saw a load of convicts when I was in Amercia with the prison guards with guns and them all chained together!
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As much as this sounds great to us in general, I've heard that studies show it doesn't really make much difference in terms of both preventing people from offending in the first instance or success of rehabilitation. I didn't delve in to it, but that's what a few people were discussing on another forum I am on a while back.
 
We, as a society, need to decide whether the purpose of jail is retribution or rehabilitation. As it's likely a bit of both, the focus needs to be determined.
 
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meghatronic said:
We, as a society, need to decide weather the purpose of jail is retribution or rehabilitation. As it's likely a bit of both, the focus needs to be determined.
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The focus is already determined - it's rehabilitation. The problem is lack of resources being provided to the prison service to actually carry out this mandate.

If the country wants to reduce re-offending it has to take away the reasons for offending - top of the list of which is usually the need to offend to make money because ex-cons have no other way to get cash.

In order to do this we have to take a few "radical" steps:

  1. Ensure no prisoner leaves prison unable to read and write.
  2. Ensure no prisoner leaves prison still addicted to drugs.
  3. Support prisoners upon leaving prison to find accommodation and work and stay away from drugs/crime triggers.
  4. Remove the stigma associated with having a criminal record - make it actually a positive thing for companies to employ people with a criminal record so ex-cons can be seen to be rebuilding their lives and companies can be seen to be socially responsible.

There are obviously more things that can be done, but these four alone would go a long way towards fixing things.
 
I think number 4 is an excellent idea. The problem is that most of the people in prison are ******* scumbags who don't care about the future or other people, which is why they are in there in the first place.

Some of them benefit from education and rehabilitation. Some of them will never better themselves.
 
krooton said:
As much as this sounds great to us in general, I've heard that studies show it doesn't really make much difference in terms of both preventing people from offending in the first instance or success of rehabilitation. I didn't delve in to it, but that's what a few people were discussing on another forum I am on a while back.
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Ahh, couldnt hurt though. Sounds like it doesnt do much for them, but england is crying out for a litter picking army.
 
britboy4321 said:
I want ex-cons to find it as easy as feasibly possible to become normal law-abiding citizens.

Giving up on them and making it extremely difficult for them to do anything BUT more crime is kinda daft ..
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Ok, so take someone like Ian Huntley for example. We remove the stigma of the criminal record, would you be ok if your company employed him?

As it's the socially responsible thing to do.
 
fez said:
Ahh, couldnt hurt though. Sounds like it doesnt do much for them, but england is crying out for a litter picking army.
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Of course security whilst they're out and about costs a load of money.

And as people recognise the cons it makes it harder for them to get a job upon their release - so more chance they'll go back to thieving ..

And what happens to the criminals who just say 'No I can't be bothered to pick up litter'?? Do we physically force them? How? Locking them up for longer for not picking up our litter costs EVEN MORE ..
 
bad idea tbh...

people can argue all they like about the fluffy issues regarding what goes on inside etc.. how we rehabilitate prisoners etc..

but the main point is locking up bad people reduces crime simply because they're locked up

If we want to reduce costs then perhaps look at ways of locking people up for less or making the prison service more efficient.
 
I haven't got any kids. I'd be working with him in a professional IT environment for 8 hours. Professionals who know better than me say he he rehabilitated 100%. There are no kids ANYWHERE where I work, EVER. There is no opportunity for him to repeat any of his crimes at where I work.

If he's awesome at what he does and makes the company £600,000 per year and keeps to himself just trying to get on, and has had voluntary sterilization - you wouldn't have him?

Can hardly say you guys are dripping with entrepreneurial spirit! I guess you must live in 'daily fail' land. You're not seeing clearly as you are using emotion, and you don't understand the way to best run a business. You get the best people for the job. And don't have the daily mail on the reception room front desk! ;)

Basically - Would you buy a ferrari off him for £2000 that is worth £90,000? Yes -- lolanticonscience? So why's that any different from doing any other business with him?

lol?
 
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Moley said:
The focus is already determined - it's rehabilitation. The problem is lack of resources being provided to the prison service to actually carry out this mandate.

If the country wants to reduce re-offending it has to take away the reasons for offending - top of the list of which is usually the need to offend to make money because ex-cons have no other way to get cash.

In order to do this we have to take a few "radical" steps:

  1. Ensure no prisoner leaves prison unable to read and write.
  2. Ensure no prisoner leaves prison still addicted to drugs.
  3. Support prisoners upon leaving prison to find accommodation and work and stay away from drugs/crime triggers.
  4. Remove the stigma associated with having a criminal record - make it actually a positive thing for companies to employ people with a criminal record so ex-cons can be seen to be rebuilding their lives and companies can be seen to be socially responsible.

There are obviously more things that can be done, but these four alone would go a long way towards fixing things.
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How would you enforce #2? It's well known that it's not difficult to get drugs in all but the highest security prisons. As far as I know you can't 'force' someone to get off drugs, they have to want to get off drugs themselves. The only way to force it is to lock them up in solitary for the whole sentence and even that only removes the physical effects the mental addiction would still be there even with forced rehab groups because they have to want to be at those groups. Not to mention all prisoners are allowed visits which is the perfect opportunity for them to get drugs from their visitors.

#3 is already available to prisoners who, once again, want it.

Your list sounds really nice but I can't see how it would be actioned.
 
Missing.String said:
Bit of an extreme example, no?
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It's extreme to say the stigma of a criminal record should be removed from society.

The next step would see preference given to criminals over decent hardworking people during the job application process. As you can bet your bottom dollar there will be a target involved.

krooton said:
What about fraudsters getting longer sentences than people committing burglary and ABH.
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That's the problem with the whole process.

Sadly there is no common sense applied at any process during the conviction process.
 
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