Minister appeals for more prisons, tougher sentences

The daily is skeptical about a newly unveiled criminal justice review by Home Minister John Reid that calls for building more jails and handing down tougher sentences for serious crimes. "Dostoevsky reflected that 'the degree of civilisation in a society can be judged by entering its prisons'. This is a point that matters to victims as well as criminals. Conditions should encourage inmates to mend their ways, not make them worse. Yet yesterday's review was entirely silent on how sentences are spent. Ignoring the quality when the quantity is at a record high is a staggering omission. While prisoners languish instead of learn and are routinely bullied, jails will continue to churn out people who, more often than not, are reconvicted in two years. ... The overhaul the system really needs is to cut the use of prisons, and increase the quality and effectiveness of those that remain."

» full article (external link, English)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » United Kingdom

» To the complete press review of Friday, July 21, 2006