Forum Topic

Boris Johnson "to stop criminals being freed after serving half their sentence"

Common Sense at last?  I really hope so.We have endured the trendy PC Lefty Liberal "Hug a Criminal" ethos foisted on us for decades now with increasingly devastating effects and it's just NOT working, so an abrupt volt face doing the opposite might work?It is worth at least trying IMHO.

Rosco White ● 2367d16 Comments

Again, you are changing and broadening the subject to suit your agenda.Again, back to the Topic, which is, prisoners should serve their full term, not just a portion of it.I happen to agree with that, and a vast number of other people do too, they just don't speak up about it. Wonder why?  :-)

Rosco White ● 2354d

It is a shame that everyone who talks common sense is a leftie in your Daily Wail world. Rosco.Sending people to prison is expensice and does not work (reoffending rates are high wherever you go). If you look at all the Scandinavian countries, they have between a third and half the number of prisoners per capita, and the sentences are much shorter on average. This does not make them places you don't want to visit because there are criminals that should have been locked up lurking at every corner. On the contrary, you are much less likely to be affected by crime.It is crime prevention that makes the difference. Rather than wasting money on prisons, Scandinavian countries invest heavily in education, youth servicesfacilities, social work, early intervention programmes and the likes. Wages tend to be fairer, and there is a better work-life balance (the number of hours you can work is limited) so that parents spend more time with their children. It has nothing to do with being leftie but is rather a win-win situation for the whole of society.

Urs Esser ● 2355d

Blimey, that's a bit of a Lefty Rant, used to it on here though.  :-)To possibly answer some pints made, maybe our continental cousins are more socialist/lefty than the UK, hence they have proportionately less prisoners due to their "softer" practices?And my original point Ms Rugg is not "packing in more prisoners", my point was/is that the "hug a criminal" approach is not working, and hasn't been for decades, so Boris' intention to at least ensure prisoners complete their full prison terms is at least worth trying, surely?I am used to you Lefties changing the subject and slanting arguments to your favourite schtick btw, keep to The Subject Matter please.  :-)))))))

Rosco White ● 2357d

Yes building more private run prisons which rely for profit on packing in more prisoners in harsher conditions to cut costs and increase profits. Forget about rehabilitation as this will cost and affect the bottom line. Prisoners will be kept in as long as possible fed the cheapest food possibles and their time extended for any misdemeanour. Incarcerate more people for even the slightest offence to feed the profits for the investors in these private prisons. All paid for by the tax payer. This model works really well in America where we all know there is no crime.

Kim Rugg ● 2358d

I suppose it will make a change building lots more prisons instead of lots of flats.  Why though do we have so many more people in prison already than many other countries in Europe?http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/uk/06/prisons/html/nn1page1.stm

Philippa Bond ● 2358d

Dunno. Most people expect if the Beak sends you down for 1 or 2 or more years, then you should actually serve 1 or 2 or the  full "more" years.You may not like it or agree with it Ms Bond, but the silent majority have been aghast for decades that prisoners don't serve their full term.Rather makes a mockery of the justice system, and hardly acts as a deterrent?

Rosco White ● 2359d

Is the UK going to become a penal colony?

Philippa Bond ● 2359d

Repeated whataboutery aside - yes, all politicians lie, and Blair's lies that led us into a pointless war is something I will never forgive him for and which stained the Labour party for me for years.  It's just that Johnson has made it so much part of his character that it no longer surprises.What's it got to do with your topic?  Well, you were praising a Johnson promise, and he's got a long, long record of mendacity.  I'd have thought that was pretty apparent.

Adam Kimmel ● 2366d

Agree Mr Iddon. Boris' intended hard line approach is loooooooong overdue and he's very aware it's what the majority of the electorate from all political persuasions have been clamouring for, for decades.

Rosco White ● 2366d

To get locked up for any length of time in this country you must have done something pretty serious. I would think that the deporting any foreign national who has been locked upi will be high on the agenda now, and there are 15,000 or so of those.Perhaps they will even look at deporting them to serve the sentence in their country of origin, financial recompense being negotiated between governments. You never know in these strange times.We have the hardest line home secretary since I don't know when.

Keith Iddon ● 2366d

So other politicians don't lie, and get caught out?Mandelson anybody? Bliar? All parts of the political spectrum are at it and picking on Boris for "lying" is rather disingenuous?And what's it all got to do with my Topic anyway?

Rosco White ● 2366d

He's actually been fired from jobs/positions for it.  He got fired from the Times for making up quotes, he got fired from both positions he held in the shadow cabinet for lying to Michael Howard about his affair (and I'm guessing he lied to his wife on more than one occasion). And remember his determined promise, when he was mayor, that "not one" tube ticket office would close on his watch? Every politician might lie, but Johnson's turned it into a vocation.

Adam Kimmel ● 2366d

Errr, don't ALL politicians lie, why single Boris out?

Rosco White ● 2366d

I'm sure it's as valid as any other of Johnson's promises.  Isn't he supposed to be lying in front of a bulldozer alongside his Uxbridge constituents?

Adam Kimmel ● 2366d

THANK YOU Mr Evans, a V nice Lefty Rant!  :-)

Rosco White ● 2367d

...which presumably will need twice as many prisons and staff. Just like that! At a cost of how many billions? Another Boris scam to appeal to the lor'n'order hang'em and flog'em and throw away the key fraternity. I guess it'll be 'benefit scroungers' next, after 'foreigners' and any other 'others' he can point at to blame things on. And I fear the great intolerant British public might even fall for it.

Peter Evans ● 2367d