Prison Reform Proposals in the UK
The UK Government Makes a U-Turn This Week in It's Proposed Reforms of the Prison System
The government in the UK recently announced a proposal that would save a significant amount of money, by reducing the length of sentence for offenders who pleaded guilty at an early stage, as well as cutting short the length of imprisonment for serious offenders, including sex offenders, by as much as half.
Although these proposals would indeed help towards the government's goal of dramatically reducing expenditure to reduce the national debt, the proposals were met with an angry reaction from the public, who are concerned at their safety should more criminals be allowed back on the street.
It was comforting to note that this week the government has decided to make a u-turn and more on these proposals, and Prime Minister David Cameron is now proposing instead the issuing of stronger sentences for serious offences, including more life sentences.
The media has been reacting to the previous proposals of reducing sentences by suggesting that the government is handing out what they call "soft justice", and it would seem that the majority of people in the UK are in favour of criminals properly paying for their crimes.
It cannot be denied that keeping offenders in prison is a very costly business, and by reducing prison sentences we can be assured that the cost of looking after these criminals will be reduced.
However, with those who are very likely to commit serious crimes in the future back on the street, not only are the public likely to feel less secure, but at the end of the day the cost of dealing with further crimes that many of them are sure to commit, especially capital offences, the ultimate cost is likely to far outweigh the cost of keeping these offenders locked up inside for a longer term.
I believe that the public will feel safer knowing that the government has reversed it's proposal, even at the cost of the government having to make more cuts elsewhere.
In addition, too many "soft sentences" these days are one reason why criminals keep offending, since the fines and custodial sentences that they receive are inadequate to deter them from offending again. If the cost of committing a crime is made more severe, that ought to help make people think twice before they break the law.
Originally Published As:
Prison Reforms In The UK on Technorati
Published by Tony Payne
Tony Payne is a freelance writer who lives on the South Coast of England with his wife Debbie. He has worked in the IT Industry all his life, and has been writing on various sites for the last 10 years. T... View profile
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19 Comments
Post a CommentIntriguing to say the least.
sometimes I can't leave a comment, great work!
You make some good points. At least in England, the people understand that, if they want dangerous criminals locked up for longer sentences, they will somehow have to pay the cost. In America, many of the same people who scream the loudest for us to lock them up and throw away the key will scream even louder if the government tries to raise their taxes to pay for it.
I think we have failed as a society. In recent years the number of people who have no respect for where they live, for other people's property, and indeed for other people, has grown enormously. There are so many now who think nothing of killing innocent people, and it's not going to be an easy task to turn this around. In part it's the media, promoting violence, and in part it's parents who lack responsibility when bringing up their kids.
If our only crime deterrent is locking people up, we have failed as a society. We really need more emphasis on behavior modification and rehabilitation.
Well done.
Good article Laura Everly
Good to see the government reversed its plans. I agree as well, that soft sentences don't don't deter criminals. They often consider prison time to be a badge of honor.
Great article and very interesting.
Your David Cameron reminds me of our George W Bush. If it sounds stupid when they say it out loud, then it surely will become law. :|