Cash and early release.

[loulou]

The early release of up to 1,200 criminals is under way in an attempt to ease the overcrowding crisis in Britain's prisons. Prisoners released early from prison are to receive a cash payout of up to 172 to compensate them for loss of bed and board.

Who else thinks this is disgraceful giving them cash as well as freeing them early?

[oldspice]

I do. Talk about crime pays. Of course, some people should not be in jail at all. People should not be jailed for failure to pay fines or failure to send their children to school. They should carry out meaningful and useful work in the community. However, there are many nasty scumbags running around free or being given silly jail terms for persistent criminality and they should be locked up.

[smurfboy]

'Loss of bed and board'? It's prison - they're not being thrown out of their homes!

[goldencup]

Ridiculous!

[Scarlet Passion]

Oh I just love this idea!!! Who thought this one up?

I thought being in prison was supposed to be a detterant against commiting further crimes? Not a paid holiday with extra compensation for early release and any inconvenience that might cause.

If I couldn't see this heading into the territory where the good guys are locked up for their own safety whilst the criminals run the whole country I'd probably be laughing till I peed right about now.
See five minutes of voting age and already I'm a militant and an anarchist!

At what point did the government think it was a good idea to let people out early with pay rather than build more prisons?  What was the chain of reasoning, which led them to this batty conclusion? 

I wish I lived in a proper country like Sweden. 

[loulou]

I wish i lived in a proper country too.

[smurfboy]

You could both emigrate.

Bounty, I agree in principle that more prisons should have been built, but hindsight is a wonderful thing. They can't be thrown up overnight. More prisons is a long-term solution - there is a problem now. Although early release is far from idea, I'd rather a petty crook got out early than someone more dangerous got a non-custodial sentence because there was no room in prison for them.

[loulou]

I do plan to emigrate when I am 50. I don't want to see my retirement out in this country.

[Scarlet Passion]

You could both emigrate.

Bounty, I agree in principle that more prisons should have been built, but hindsight is a wonderful thing. They can't be thrown up overnight. More prisons is a long-term solution - there is a problem now. Although early release is far from idea, I'd rather a petty crook got out early than someone more dangerous got a non-custodial sentence because there was no room in prison for them.

 

Well apart from the emigrate comment to Bounty and Loulou (I'd miss Loulou.) I do agree with what you said smurfboy. Though getting out early in my opinion should be reward enough without money as compensation aswell. But there you go!

I wondered if we could put the overflow in tents on the moors like the famous five and ask them nicely if they would pretty please just promise not to run away until their sentences are up?

That is just about as far from an apt response to this problem as the one they've dreamed up and mine is cheaper.

[loulou]

Don't worry Scarlett. I won't go anywhere without my pc.

[smurfboy]

Though getting out early in my opinion should be reward enough without money as compensation aswell. But there you go!

[Forth Bridges]

Because it DIFFERENT LAWS;'

and due that fact there only be kept in country of trail!

[smurfboy]

That's fine - but if Scotland wants a different legal system, it can have its own tax system too, with no contributions from the English coffers.

[oldspice]

Is Scotland REALLY a different country? When did we rip up the Act of Union?