General Chat

Would those who advocate harsh penal conditions be willing to be prison warders?

It's not nice to advocate a jail sentence for anybody, but it is vital that justice is administered in some form, evenly and fairly for all.

Inmates are human beings. They have done wrong & they must be punished. But they are still human beings.

Can't decide until you live their abuse.

I'm glad you said 'some', Sharron, as in nearly all the arguments in an alleged offender's defence is that '9s0he was the victim of a similar crime many years ago.

I refuse to believe that everyone subject to or of a crime at some earlier time then goes out and repeats that very crime.

I would have thought that for most empathetic people, the trauma caused would be the very reason why they wouldn't rush out to do the same thing.

Sadly, some of the traumatized become those very murderers and rapists who need to be kept seperate from society.

But it works because, for the length of their imprisonment, it prevents murderers and rapists from committing further atrocities on children and adults and it prevents thiefs from attacking and robbing the vulnerable, and so on ..... One fewer thief in our midst etc.

It does not exist to "put off" miscreants; they will always be with us. It exists as a punishment.

Are you measuring expense in pounds and pence? If so, in my opinion, the cost to the nation ought to take into account the whole cost of offences - injury, trauma, healthcare, physical and mental injuries, some lifelong with little prospect of recovery - that creation of fear which leaves some unable ever to work or to lead 'normal' lives which you and I may take for granted.

The gibbet never worked very well.

The prison system is ineffectual in so far as it fails miserably to 'persuade' other potential miscreants outside to stop their dastardly deeds.

Rehabilitation of a convicted felon is an entirely separate matter.

What would you have in its place, Dermot?

External supervision where murderers and rapists are still outside and able to access more victims and the families of their victims?

While prison may not seem perfect, it was effective in preventing Sutcliffe from killing any more females. Imagine the scenario if he was placed under supervision or tagged. In the time it would have taken for the authority to respond to removal of a tag, another woman may have been murdered.

In my opinion prison does the job. It means our streets are just that tad more safe.

While the bleeding hearts' brigade bangs on about educating and rehabilitation, and discusses the bad childhoods that some criminals endured (there are plenty who suffered and did not turn to crime) it offers little or no advice on how to successfully rehabilitate people like the Krays, Sutcliffe, Rosemary and Fred, Nilsen etc.

Prison is there primarily as a punishment. If a prisoner takes advantage of education while inside, all the better, but it is not its major concern. By locking away the likes of those mentioned above, fewer women will be raped, fewer children will be assaulted and fewer people will be killed.

I don't really care about their rehabilitation - would you have liked to try to rehabilitate Sutcliffe?

What I care about is keeping members of my family safe from people like that and to that end, prison does the job.

The prison system is ineffectual & exorbitantly expensive.

This is news that a lot of people have been waiting for but families have to take what this being did to their graves he has cost the tax payer a lot of money the world is well rid of a very evil Man

Well at least Sutcliffe had the decency to refuse treatment1

Just an aside, but a few months ago my wife informed me that many years ago the police called at our house in connection with some murders.

Apparently they wanted to see a photo of me.

I assumed that this was in connection with a spate of murders which had taken place in an area of Perth known as Claremont. Police were unable to identify the so-called 'Claremont Killer for a number of years.

I regularly passed through the area on my way to meetings in Perth.

My wife informed me of the police visit after the Perth murderer was arrested recently.

OH said that, no, the visit hadn't been made by the Australian police but by the British police years earlier in regards to the Yorkshire Ripper murders.

Why she never mentioned it at the time I'll never know

Death is always the final arbitrator.

I have just seen that Richard McCann the son of Sutcliffes first victim has been in touch with sutcliffes brother to pass on his condolences because this brother had seen Richard's story who was only five when his mother was murdered and got in touch with him so richard done the same all I can say what a big man dont know if I could that

apparently he refused treatment.

Peter Sutcliffe has died of Covid.