Fairly thought provoking, but I don’t think it’s going to get many people to change their minds.

It is generally acknowledged that currently the prison system isn’t working. The threat of prison seems to be little deterrent to criminals, and the number of people re-offending after their release seems to hint that time spent inside does little to change peoples behaviour.

Prison Time Too Easy?

A large criticism of UK jails is that their regime is not enough of a deterrent to prevent people from committing crime in the first place. In April Glyn Travis of the Prison Officers Association claimed that prisoners didn’t take the chance to escape as life inside was so good for them.
“The prisoners didn’t take this opportunity because we believe life is so cushy within the prison system,” he said.

Mr Travis said there had been similar incidents in other prisons and he knew of cases of prostitutes entering open jails to service clients.
He added; “We have got no-go areas in certain prisons because prisoners have got complete control. There is not sufficient staff, there is no interaction between staff.

It isn’t difficult to source other claims of a similar nature.

Compare conditions in UK prisons to how prisoners are dealt with in Arizona in the USA

For the Maricopa County sheriff, who opened the nation’s largest tent prison in 1993, saving taxpayer pennies matters more than comforting convicted felons.

“We took away coffee, that saved $150,000 a year. Why do you need coffee in jail?” says Arpaio, patrolling the dusty, barren grounds. “Switched to bologna sandwiches, that saved half a million dollars a year.”

Arpaio makes inmates pay for their meals, which some say are worse than those for the guard dogs. Canines eat $1.10 worth of food a day, the inmate 90 cents, the sheriff says. “I’m very proud of that too.”

Critics rail against harsh conditions in the prison, where temperatures can top 100 degrees.

“We still have rights, but they act like we’re scum,” one inmate complains.

Is this the answer? Probably not, but then lessons can be learnt from Maricopa in reducing costs and reoffending rates.

Alternatives?

Prison should fulfill several functions. It should primarily serve as a deterrent to criminals. For those people that do find themselves in prison it should act as an opportunity to better themselves and avoid becoming incarcertaed again. Thirdly, for the taxpayers the costs of prisons should be minimised.

The current system seems to focus on entertainment rather than education. Why not remove Satellite TV, games consoles and gymnasiums and replace these with educational and vocational training? These could be run with the aid of local and national employers with the aim of creating a defined career path.

Why not outsource prison labour to public and private sector comapanies. Money earn by prisoners going to contribute to their stay and to pay for luxuries reducing expence to the taxpayer in the long term.

The first Iraqi interpreters to be offered refuge in Britain are living in fear in squalid tower blocks in Glasgow, The Times has learnt.

They complained of living among drunks and drug addicts, being abused and spat at, and of feeling isolated and unable to work. One girl of 9 had had her hijab torn off by one of her new neighbours.

Abdul, 71, one of three Iraqis who risked their lives working for British troops in Basra and were resettled in April with 15 dependents, advised others in a similar position to stay in Iraq.

The Government decided to offer sanctuary to some of the hundreds of Iraqis who have helped British Forces after their plight was highlighted by The Times. In Iraq they are regarded by extremists as traitors and many have been targeted by death squads.

I’m against uncontrolled immigration, but I firmly believe that people that have served the UK, such as, in this case interpreters, or foreigners such as Gurkahs serving in the British army should not only be welcomed into the UK, but should also receive the same help that any UK citizen would expect to be granted.

At fault here is not only the neanderthal idiots that are dishing out the abuse, but also the government who have let these kind of attitudes towards deserving immigrants to develop though their perceived support of the less deserving ones.

42 days imprisonment - without knowing the charges you face - is a draconian measure that both undermines our fundamental freedoms, and jeopardises our security. But the issue runs far deeper. Whether it is talking tough on terror, the rise of the database state or the growth of a surveillance society, the size, role and reach of government is now out of control. This government increasingly treats our fundamental freedoms with disdain. I believe it is time to take a stand.

That aside I think many people are getting fed up of this governments steady erosion of civil liberties including dilutions of the right to trial by jury, the impending identity cards, restrictions on freedom of speech, and now an extension to the period in which you can be detained without criminal charges.

The problem is not only that these historical laws enshrined in UK tradition, have been hard fought for and won over the ages, but the changes to the laws are freely open to abuse.

These changes to the law are frequently justified as being used to deal with terrorism in order to gain popular support. People that speak out against them are branding as being soft on terrorism. In reality, those that speak out know that any new rules won’t only be used to deal with terrorists, but can easily be used against the people that the government claim they are trying to protect.

Already we have seen new powers being used for -

• Inflammatory speech powers that were designed to stop religious hatred being used to deal with pensioners protesting against the expansion of Heathrow
• Suspending protests in Parliament Square
• Local councils spying on families to investigate school applications
• And even snooping in your litter bins

There has to come a time when government powers and the abuse of those powers outweighs any marginal benefit that changes to civil liberties may have - that time has come and I for one applaud David Davis for taking a stance.

Watching them last night on Newsnight and the News was sickening. Talking about “Finding ways” to work with the “NO” vote, and how the “machinery of government” needed the reforms.

What don’t they understand? EVERY COUNTRY ASKED if they wanted to sign the Constitution/Treaty has said NO. No-one wants to sign over more and more power to entirely unelected and unaccountable officials, yet on 5-Live they had guests talking about it, and one bloke from the EU actually said it was the `wrong` result!!. the arrogance astounds…

Who the hell is Barroso to ignore the Irish, French and Dutch electorates? No-one voted for him, and he assumes he has a right to run Europe.

A long time ago i stopped getting angry at politics, because sometimes it seems there’s nothing you can do about it any more. But this has totally reignited my passion.

That spokeswoman last night, smug in her office, talking about the EU needing reforms and needed new powers should learn when to shut the hell up. No political body NEEDS anything. If they want something they should ask the electorate for it, and if they get told no then that should be it.

I’m so f**king angry, they’re just central European empire builders.