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I spent a surprisingly enjoyable evening at the House of Commons on Wednesday. Now, a drinks reception is not the type of place where you’d often find me. In fact, getting me to one usually needs some convincing (or kicking and dragging!). Let’s just say that an event where working the room and small talk are the necessary requisites is about as appealing to me as a visit to the dentist.
But, the theme of the Britain Club evening being crime (and prison reform), and one of the speakers the excellent journalist and author Harriet Sergeant – whose reporting I’ve always respected – I decided to suppress my natural dislike of such events. And you know what? I am glad I did.
That’s not to say working the packed (and a bit claustrophobic) room was the most enjoyable thing I’ve ever done. The crowd was an interesting mix of business people, bankers, consultants, teachers, doctors, and a variety of other UK and foreign professionals, as well as a number of what I’d describe as professional networkers without a clearly defined profession.
As anyone who knows me can attest, as much as I dislike governments (and politicians), I’m always up for debate when it comes to policies and topics that concern people today. And our criminal justice system is one of my favourite targets. (Along with business/red tape/regulation, the outrageous benefits system, excessive taxation, education and healthcare standards, freedom of speech, civil liberties and the nanny state, and…. well, you get the idea… I don’t suffer from a shortage of topics to argue about!)
But, back to the evening at the Parliament… Journalist and author Harriet Sergeant spoke about her investigation of UK’s criminal and education systems. She has been doing a great job in her reporting and it was a pleasure to meet her. You can read her recent damning reports here: Harriet Sergeant reporting.
The author, ex-MP and ex-prisoner Jonathan Aitken spoke about prison reform. Interesting and funny speech too, which is not to say I agree with his ideas on prison reform. See, Mr. Aitken believes the state should rehabilitate criminals with education programmes. As far as I know, those prisoners who are interested in taking part already have access to free education and courses in UK jails. With reoffending rates over 70% within just two years of release, that’s hardly the solution to our wretched criminal justice system.
Worse still, Mr. Aitken suggested that instead of building the sorely needed jails we should put prisoners into hostels to allow them to be more integrated in society. Apparently, it would save money, as housing criminals in hostels is far cheaper than keeping them in prisons. I was going to write ‘It’s a nice idea, but….’ But I can’t. It’s an abhorrent idea, pure and simple.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I hate to see taxpayers’ money being spent on providing all kind of insane comforts for criminals (you should see some UK jails, with plasma TVs etc; prisoners being able to order vegetarian, vegan and ethically sourced food and toiletries, and demand nearly hotel-like standards). That is why I firmly believe all prisoners should be put to work, just like they usually are in the US (or China), to pay for their incarceration cost, medical cost, education, etc. What’s wrong with forcing criminals to work to give something back to society?
In the US, the average cost for housing one prisoner in jail is around $22,000 p.a. or $60 a day. In the UK it’s over GBP40,000 ($66,000 p.a. or $180 a day). I’d say it’s time to cut the fancy TVs and other goodies and put the inmates to work, so that they a) pay for some of their costs and b) find it unpleasant enough not to want to come back.
That said, the very last thing we can afford to do is leave yet more criminals running free – as if there weren’t enough of them already. Recent statistics show that more than 70% of violent criminals aren’t jailed. Serial criminals with multiple convictions are also escaping prison (a Civitas study shows over 60% of those convicted on more than 15 occasions are not sent to prison).
Worse still, serial offenders committing crimes as serious as burglary, robbery and violent attack are handed (repeated) cautions and fines – not even taken to court anymore, much less jailed. According to a Metropolitan Police study, 400,000 criminals who should be sentenced by courts are instead given a fine or caution every year.
In 2007 just 24% of all serious criminals were sent to prison (Civitas report, using government figures). Those who are sentenced receive pathetically short sentences (including for murders), and, to make it worse, are then automatically released in mid term (or less).
I’m always amazed when people react with shock to my arguments that instead of mollycoddling them, we should punish criminals with severity. There are few things that make me more furious than seeing criminals being set free (with a slap on the wrist), while their victims (and future victims) are neither protected nor see any justice being done.
Isn’t it time we stopped worrying about criminals’ comforts and human rights and started caring about the victims instead? In my opinion, people give up their rights the moment they commit a crime. Sadly, our liberal elites don’t seem to share that opinion.
It’s not as if, in this absence of a properly functioning police and judicial system, we, the public, are allowed to protect ourselves. Those few that do tend to see the full force of our criminal justice come down on them. Like the disabled 71 year old grandmother who poked a thug in the chest with her finger, only to be promptly convicted of assault, receiving a criminal record. And thousands of other law-abiding citizens like her with similar experiences.
With all the political correctness, human rights laws and other liberal dogmas, it seems the concept of punishing criminals is no longer popular. Clearly, neither the ridiculous sentencing in this country nor the comfortable standards in jails can be considered a punishment, by any measure.
I’d love to hear your opinion… Are we too soft on crime? Can criminals be successfully rehabilitated, or should we focus on putting them away and protecting the public instead?
For now let’s just say that the least politically correct person to probably ever have set foot in the Westminster Parliament thoroughly enjoyed this week’s event, including disagreeing with most of the fellow attendees.
December 9, 2009 at 11:46 pm
Petra,
Many thanks for your candid and stimulating comments, However seductive the self righteous indignation of flogging the wrongdoer may seem I reminded of Plato’s comments on how to judge how reasonable or civilised a society is. He always looked to how that society treated those who were unable or unwilling to live within their rules and regulations. I understand criminality is about balance but I would be concerned the day we stop worrying about criminals comforts and rights may be the day we lose our humanity.
HM
December 11, 2009 at 10:34 pm
“Are we too soft on crime?”
We’re too soft on some crimes and too heavy handed on others. There’s all sorts of offences on the statute book that probably shouldn’t be there (I notice ‘red tape’ is one of your bugbears) to begin with.
“Can criminals be rehabiliated?”
Yes, no and maybe. Some of these so-called violent crimes are just two drunk young men fighting each other, one wins (and goes a bit too far), the other wants the compo and goes to the cops – in these kind of circumstance prison (and they do end up there) is probably the most damaging option, rendering them unemployable and introducing them to lots of proper criminals.
People involved in organised crime and the who are the product of ‘crime families’ will most likely always be like they are – highly dangerous. There is also a lot of ground in the middle.
December 12, 2009 at 6:12 am
HM, thanks for your comment. I can understand your position, but have to say I’d much prefer to see the society (and our justice system) care about protecting the public and the victims than worry about criminals’ comforts. Jail is not supposed to be a holiday camp, although many seem to come quite close these days! You can’t have both things really – if you don’t punish criminals (ie incarcerate them) you’ll be co-responsible for their next victims. Now, I’m not advocating we chop-off thieves’ hands etc (though countries that do seem to have very low crime rates – sorry, couldn’t resist), but I’d very much like to see far more severe penalties, as are common for example in the US criminal justice system.
December 12, 2009 at 6:40 am
Steven, thanks for sharing your views. I agree, there are far too many new ‘offences’, invented by our pathetically politically correct elites, that aren’t crimes and should never be treated as such. (The case of the hotelier couple who got charged with criminal offence simply for arguing about religion with a muslim guest is one such appalling case I’d say. Freedom of speech doesn’t seem to apply when it comes to certain issues or groups.) What is staggering though is that a majority of serious criminals (burglars, robbers, violent attackers, even rapists and pedophiles in some cases) aren’t sent to jail at all in this country; and that applies even to those who commit repeated offences. What a contrast with say the US three strikes & out laws that see very long (often life term) sentences handed to those who commit three offences.
While it may well be that those who commit their first crime will only get worse if imprisoned, the fact is that – as we see in the UK where most aren’t jailed – they will, in a vast majority of cases, continue on the path of crime anyway. I’d argue that if they are let free it only encourages them to become more daring and violent further ahead, knowing there won’t be any punishment. When jailed at the very least they cannot cause harm to others.
As per recent statistics UK ‘violent crime’ rates are not only one of the highest in Europe, and higher than in the US, but also higher than South Africa (which has one of world’s worst records of violent crime). The numbers of young offenders here are also quite shocking. (And of course most are not punished in any appropriate way.) Having lived in Brazil for many years, where a huge percentage of crime and murders are committed by 10-15 year olds, it’s shocking to see something similar (though at a far smaller scale thankfully) starting to happen here.