jods

If what I am lead to believe is true, that is.

I am open to be contradicted but, as I understand it, the following is not an unusual setup in most prisons in the UK.

• Three meals a day
• Central heating
• TV
• Games consoles
• Access to Further Education Courses
• Clothing
• Gym Equipment
• Etc etc etc.

All the above paid for by the UK Taxpayer.

There was a report recently on the web (Times Online) that indicated the cost of housing a prisoner in a typical UK Jail cost more than staying in a 5 Star Hotel in London.

That obviously includes all the sunk costs of infrastructure and the labour costs of manning the prisons etc but my point is this:

Jail should NOT be a place that criminals* WANT to go to.
There have been a few cases reported recently where people have deliberately gone out to commit crimes (one was a rape) in order to be sent to jail.

I say:

• 23 hour lockdown
• No TV
• No Game Systems
• No Entertainment Facilities
• Basic food rations that meet minimum calorific needs
• Minimum Heating / Cooling
• No Educational Courses
• No Gym Equipment

UNLESS the prisoner pays in full for additional "Services"

This should reduce the Mi££ions of pounds spent every year out of our taxes and "Hopefully" reduce the number of repeat offenders who find life inside an easier option than a life in society.


*Mentally ill people should be dealt with differently - Rather than "Care in the Community" which was, in my opinion, just a way for the Govt to cut services to those that needed them, They should be housed in secure "Asylums" - funded, in part, by the revenue received by criminals in Jail.

dpb

Agree its miles too cushy , trouble is

A. Were all so nice in Europe , that even murders cant be allowed to go without

B.Youd never get money off a crim - it sort of stands to reason

Will

Prisons today are like a holiday camp. I know a lad who did 12 months and said

'' it's better than being out here on the dole''

Jeem

iTrader: (1)

As above a couple of my mates are in and out of prison all the time, one does nothing when hes out no qaulifacitions so no job and when hes inside hes back with all his out school mates and the lads he left the last time he was in. Just did 2 years and within a month is already in trouble could be back there by xmas but he aint worried holiday camp/2nd home for them. He says nothing out here for him nothing but trouble which i thought was a excuse but after many years of trouble with the police and jail who would give him a job

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

It's a strange one really. On first instinct, I agree, but after thinking a bit, I'm not sure on all parts.

I've never been to prison, so don't know how good it is, but I think for most normal people, it still wouldn't be the best place to be. That said alot of people aren't in there because they were nice, normal people.

Personally, I think it shouldn't be like some holiday camp (if it is in fact that way). I don't think all the TV or gaming someone may want should be available, it's meant to be punishment ffs.

You don't want to make prison appealing, but at he same time, if people are going to be released into society again, you don't necessarily make their social skills even worse, so to speak, by restricting them to only an hour out to interact with anyone else.

It should be about doing some hard work even, give something back somehow, instead of wasting time in front of a TV.

As for the option to get some education... why not? If they are getting out, at least there is a glimmer of hope that may help them come out a better person. But the main crux of this, is it must be followed up once a prisoner gets out. There is no point in educating someone, to then leave them high and dry once out. Getiing them on the right path once released is even more important than teaching them while locked up, otherwise, all of that is just passing the time.

This to me is the whole problem in this country, nothing is fully dealt with, we just go through the motions, and try and stick plasters on things that just won't heal that easily.

Will

Believe it or not a lad who i know who has been inside said that they do offer

carpentry and plumbing courses etc etc and they just turn their noses

at it as they rather **** off back to their cells to play their playstation and

watch tv!!!! . Butlins is what he called it!!

scoobyricht

iTrader: (4)

a friend of a friend got mega beaten up one night, the bunch of animals that did it where on bail for beating up a few coppers a few days before. the guy got beaten almost to death, brain damage etc, really messed up. now the guilty people have been sent down and are due out in a short while, thing is these animals that did the deed are in jail, pumping iron all day and gonna come out much more dangerous than they went in...crazy prison is for punishment.

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

That's exactly why I don't believe in giving them the easy option.

Give the options of learning a skill etc. in the hope it will better people, if they don't want that, they still work while inside, not sit about like dole wallers, just behind bars.

Will

Exactley, and thinking about a come back on the decent people who put them in behind bars!!!

Will

Couldnt agree more

Terminator X

iTrader: (7)

F*ck rehabilitation, basic even nasty conditions would make crims think twice about their next offence. They've got it right out in Thailand ...

TX.

Sonic'

I know a few that have been inside and every one of them said it was a breeze, doddle, easy etc

too many luxuries, guards smuggle in mobile phones for them too in some prisons

jonc

I agree prison should be a severe punishment and not a holiday camp. I don't think any sort of prison is going to stop people committing crimes. Do offenders think about prison or do they think about the "gains" when they commit a crime? It might make them think twice for a split second before commiting a crime, but if they're is little opportunity for an ex-con to get a head in society what other course of action are they going to take, especially if they're career criminals. Also since most prisons are poorly staffed and in many cases understaffed. These luxuries are a way to also pacify inmates, you take away their "luxuries" you're likely to have a riot on your hands and let's not even get into their "human rights"!! The luxuries are there as a form of reward for good behavior. Just like children, you take them away when they're naughty.

cster

Never been so couldn't really say.

Neoscooby

Not only should it be made tougher, but I also believe that prisoners should 'work' to contribute to their upkeep, I'm tired of paying taxes so they can loaf around all day.

urban

iTrader: (1)

I have a relation who is a prison officer and he says that its "Not a bad life if you have no ambitions"
The lifers also have satellite TV - full package with sky sports etc.

He hates the job now, but to be fair you'd probably hate most jobs after 30 years.
He says that its now all mamby pamby, he has to address inmates as Mr. surname etc

r32

Prison should be a real deterent, it should be preventing people doing serious wrong. There's no fear now, prisons too nice and its no longer the huge stigma it was to have been in jail. If it was all a bit worse then people would be thinking more about the consequences of crime. Most crimes are treated far too leniantly, other than it seems driving offences, I saw a statistic that showed there are more motorists in jail than burglars.

To me prison is about two things,
1, It gets the scumbags off the streets and protects honest law abiding citizens.
2, It should be a severe punishment and act as a deterent for bad behaviour

If it doesnt do those things then its not working and hence the reason we dont have enough prison places, its too cushy.
Sadly the UK use of 'human rights legislation' which isnt interpreted the same any where else in the world is stopping us punishing criminals and wrong doers.

jonc

Bring back death penalty?

billythekid

For regular offenders prison is defiantly too nice. They know their rights, they know exactly what they can and can’t have - and how to get the stuff they can’t have too. Being on the street or inside, it makes no real difference to them. Which is very wrong.

My friend spent 10 years as a Prison Officer. Hated it, hated the people inside, hated the system and hated the pointlessness of it all.
Some of the stories she would tell were almost unbelievable!
She has now emigrated.

urban

iTrader: (1)

OK, but thats not really solving the problem is it.
Your common thief isn't going to be given the death penalty now is he?

Prisioners cost roughly 80K a year to keep in jail - so not cheap!

yoza

All prisons are not cushy, it depends where you go, and upon the nature of the crime you have committed.

I believe that prisons are primarily there to extract criminals out of the community (and take away their freedom).

What happens after that is secondary and far less important to the powers that be.

Leslie

Crims used to get a prison sentence with hard labour. They had to go out every day to do heavy physical work such as breaking up stone in a quarry. Used to make them fit but they did not relish the thought of doing that during their sentence.

Prison should not be an easy option. That will never do anything towards turnring them away from crime again. Their way of thinking in most cases does not include gratitude for a cushy existence. It needs to be a sharp lesson and worth avoiding in the future.

Les

TurboKitty

Rehabilitate the ones that can change and shoot the real scumbags and repeat offenders. Bullets cost a lot less than locking them up. If they can't live decent lives then they don't deserve to live lives at all.

A friend of mine has a house he's doing up in Cornwall. It's just been broken into and tens of thousands of pounds of damage has been done. The offender has been caught. He's well known to the police in the area. He's 18, has 26 previous break-ins that are known of and the judges keep letting him off with a slapped wrist. I very much doubt he'll change because why should he? He gets the benefits of crime with no drawbacks. In my view he is a waste of resources and should be put down.

We're way too soft on serious criminals in this country.

Simon 69

I would dread going to prison: PlayStation or not.

ChefDude

so, has anyone here done a stretch or is this all just the standard SN supposition?

jonc

Obviously not, but the murderers and paedos etc ones that been proven without a shadow of doubt, Ian Bradey, Mira Hindley, Ian Huntley even the countless youths who have killed others. Even if the death penalty doesn't deter offenders, at least it will ease the burden of keeping them locked up for life.

mamoon2

Funny this thread has popped up as I've just this minute phoned my mate in prison. Yes, thats right, I phoned him, on his mobile.

cster

Ditto, surely there must be someone here who has done time - for murder of the English language if naught else.

David Lock

Well prison doesn't seem to work aside, perhaps, for keeping society a bit safer for a while. Indeed I am sure there are strong arguments that prison is a bad influence on the inmates.

Most of the youth will be nasty little scum bags but many end up there because their parents couldn't be bothered or that have mental health problems.

It can't be beyond the wit of HMG to devise some suitable outside work schedules coupled with methods of keeping them off the streets. If it costs £80k a year per prisoner that is a lot of resource. But it has to be done with vigour. No namby pamby approach.

A new approach to illegal drugs is also required. The Portuguese experiment is fascinating.

dl