I Want To Go To Prison - Please!

[Graham]

So, detail probably not forthcoming because there is enough to write a book but I would qualify this by saying that these people and actions ARE in a minority but exploited by the gutter media so that people's fear factor rises exponentially for commercial gain, with the unfortunate side effect of drawing in the weaker amongst us to both emulate and hero worship the sins of the perpetrators.

Keith,

Got to give you a BIG +1 on that...

 

[Charlie Farley]

It's accepted that up to 15% of the UK inmates have a military history.
I find that sickening. The system they devoutly served, let them down.
I don't think that it's a system capable of admitting it's short comings.
As to the US county system, i once heard a Governor publicly admit that he and his guards didn't run the prison. As long as nobody tried to escape, he was happy to let the inmates run the establishment.
So the rapists flourished, but this time thay took out their perversions on teenage boys. Welcome to the 21st century, sic.

 

[Jack]

Andy, many of the U.S. prisons are run by contractors whose only interest is making $$$.

 

[Danny]

...dvr, I'm not sure where you get your statistics from when you say believe it or not most do change and stop committing crime? My law enforcement friends tell me that their experience is that more and more criminals are laughing at the light sentences imposed by our courts and the cushy ride they get in gaol. And most do re-offend particularly juvenile offenders.

I agree with much of the sentiment already expressed on this topic except for one major point.

Our gaols are not full of murderers and terrorists. Sure there are heinous criminals who don't deserve much consideration but thankfully they are a very small minority. And I mean a very small minority.

This state contains about 10000 prisoners at any one time. But it processes between 2-3 times that number through gaols during a year! Do the math and ask the question "what's happening and could there be a better way".

Pete you queried my stats. With over 30 years assisting courts, low and high jurisdictions making sentencing decisions, having interviewed a few thousand criminals, correctional and program staff at miniumum to maximum securities, families, treatment providers, police, employers etc etc I have some qualification to talk on the subject. And not just from the crims perspective as I've also done a lot of work with victims too.

Certainly I've been involved with murderers, rapists, child killers, pedophiles, violent offenders, arsonists, bank robbers etc. I have no qualms about them being gaoled for a long time or life. No problem at all, but fortunately they have been in the minority.

And that minority IS extremely small on the overall numbers. I don't know my personal numbers off hand, but it would be less than 100. Just think how many terrorists are in Australian gaols. It's a handfull because we know of every one through the media coverage. Same for aboriginals who are disproportionately represented in Australian gaols. Few are capital offenders.

Like I said in my earlier post most criminals in gaol are losers inside for a short time. They generally lack life skills, have serious drug and alcohol problems and are repeat offenders of stupid petty crimes often related to dishonesty, stealing etc.

This state spends over a billion dollars a years providing "temporary housing", ie a few months at a time. There are better ways but nobody's looking especially the pollies, media and shock jocks.

After 30+ years there's one observation I have that is constant. Whenever I go to a court or gaol and scan the prisoners they, like scanning a uni campus, are typically young adults. I often ponder where are those who were repeat offenders 10/20/30 years ago? They have fallen off the radar. Or else crime has gone off the scales which it hasn't.

Sure their lives may still be f... and their progeny have become the new crims but the fathers, women don't fill the gaols anywhere near the numbers for males, have ceased going to gaol. Late maturation, slow development, too old for the game, whatever, something has caused them to back off going to gaol.

Here's an idea. Close half the gaols and only imprison the most serious or incorrigible, that is those who are impervious to gaol. Now expand a system of home and community sentencing. It becomes and either/or situation.

That is make them do education, counselling, drug/alcohol and training programs linking in with their local networks. Institute regular random alco and drug scans. Impose draconian curfew and mobility restrictions with electric monitoring and for any who f... up straight to gaol, each time extending the period.

Now with the money saved invest that in expanding the police force so crime prevention becomes more frontline rather than the reactive measures we have today.

Crime and gaols are a highly emotive subject and the public is deluded by the reports our gaols are full of evil crims. They are not and the majority are immature youngish idiots who do eventually straighten out or at least stop coming to gaol.

I don't know what it's like in British or US gaols but I'd expect much the same makeup of prisoners there.

 

[Dalton Veitch]

A good friend of mine is currently in jail, a low security jail (obviously not murderers, arsonists, child molesters, etc.). He is amazed at the lack of English among many of the inmates. I know people should be familiar with the language of a country before migrating there, but these guys don't know their rights, many don't know how to apply for things, even parole. My friend has started conducting some English lessons to give these guys a better chance, and help rehabilitate them if you like.

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

Danny, I understand where you are coming from and agree with much of what you say, certainly our police force is under resourced and has not the manpower for patrolling the streets and preventing crime. Plenty of times in my youth I got a kick up the khyber from the local copper and was told to get home. If that happened today the cop would face a lawsuit and criminal charges. And that is what I perceive to be the problem, we have all gone soft.
Kids who muck up in school know they can do anything and the worst that will happen is they cop a suspension.
If they do their bloody parents then want to sue the school.
The judiciary continue to hand out small fines and good behavior bonds for repeat offenders.
Nobody takes responsibility for their actions, and very few have any respect for authority whatsoever.
It's easy to say the poor bloke has a drug problem, an alcohol problem, well nobody forced them to take a drink or stick a needle into their arm or sniff the glue.
We have created a society where discipline, self respect and respect for others has almost ceased to exist and we are all to blame because we are letting it happen.
Time to harden up and BRING BACK THE CANE!