I do not believe in the British prison system, I also do not like the way the media present information about the British prison system. I genuinely believe most of the people in our prisons should not even be in prison. In fact the only time I believe prison is necessary (especially long term sentences) is when we are dealing with violence or rape things that negatively effect peoples lives.
Even then I do not believe these people no matter how evil we consider them to be should be punished! They should be taken out of society to protect people not as punishment and then attempted to be rehabilitated, looked after well, feed healthy and kept safe.
I don’t like it when the media demand prisoners have “privileges” taken from them, we are not their parents and they are not naughty children. While I agree prisoners should not be allowed to watch TV and play computer games all day, I do believe they should be allowed at least a couple of hours per day watching TV or playing computer games if thats what they want to do.
The trouble is with the justice and prison system is it fails to consider important factors of why certain crimes are committed. Take shoplifting that is a crime that has ended with many people going to prison yet sometimes shoplifting can be or at least feel necessary to the person committing the crime.
Fred West (a serial killer from Britain) was raped by his own mother throughout his childhood, is it any wonder he grew up to be so misguided? The system failed to protect him from his mothers crimes (its going to happen sometimes) but the same system would have been quick enough to punish him for his own (he committed suicide before the case went to court.)
When the media are preaching for prisons to ban computer games, television, gym access, or other normal things that we take for granted when we are free, they are failing to consider that sometimes the person in prison is a victim as well. Normally the more psychotic or violent the person is the more of a victim he or she is or has been throughout their lives.
Surely by removing “privileges” they are just make prison a more hostile place to be. 23 hour lock ups should be made completely illegal, I wouldn’t lock my dog up for 23 hour a day if not TV (at least) should be available in their room. They may have committed crimes, made mistakes or just be evil but fighting evil with evil will not beat evil.
I believe losing your freedom is a high enough price to pay for most crimes, sometimes it may not feel like its enough but a society that deliberately and systematically punishes people with just the intent of just punishment not protection is old fashioned, unprogressive and as violent and cruel as anybody that they could be punishing.