09 October 2006

No vacancy

The Blair government really works hard at being America's little brother, following in "Big Bro's" footsteps no matter where he goes. Iraq is bad enough. (I exempt Afghanistan which may have been the right war, poorly done.) Now we find that the UK has the highest per capita incarceration rate in Europe and as a result the British prison system is full.

The Home Secretary's reaction? Stick 'em anywhere. Police holding cells? OK! Mental hospital? OK! Build more private prisons? OK!

Listen to the country's most senior judge and rethink the process; consider what the objectives of the criminal justice system are and how best to go about it. No thank you!

In the words of Lord Chief Justice Phillips:

"It's no answer just to put more and more people in prison."



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