Justice Secretary Chris Grayling has decided that, for the first time, the 50,000 criminals a year who are jailed for less than 12 months will be prevented from leaving Britain if released on licence or under a ‘supervision period’.
Mr Grayling said some of those released would also be prevented from moving around the country and would need permission from probation officers to spend a night away from their ‘approved’ residence.No, no, this is nothing to do with protecting the public. Far from it:
He believes that criminals released after short sentences should not be able to enjoy foreign holidays and should focus instead on finding a job in their local community.It's not up to you what they do with their time once they've served their debt to society - when you leave prison, you leave it a free man. That's a bulwark of our justice system, isn't it?
If you feel they've not been adequately punished, then don't release them early!
‘We want to help offenders help themselves.
‘If they are to finally step out from the gloomy shadows of criminality, they need to be given every chance,’ said Mr Grayling.But you're not 'giving them every chance', you fork-tongued hypocrite!
‘Sometimes that will mean taking a firm position and restricting someone’s movements. But it is for the purpose of giving them a better chance in life and helping them become law-abiding members of their community.’C S Lewis was bang on the money, wasn't he?
“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.”
If highly trained (and they are) Probation Officers, then I struggle to see what impact 'non-professionals' will have. In addition, where is all this money coming from. I see that they mention payment by results. We've been down this road with various back to work schemes and seen how the unemployed were 'cherry picked' with the sole aim of maximising profits for agencies such as A4E etc. It was nothing short of a con and one, if you or I tried it, rather than a Government 'approved' Agency, we would very quickly end up in Court.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest problem is that, when/if people offend, it will likely be you or I (Joe Public) who are the victims, rather than the likes of Mr Grayling et al.
XX It's not up to you what they do with their time once they've served their debt to society - when you leave prison, you leave it a free man. XX
ReplyDeleteThey have NOT served their time on release;
Near the beginning; if released on licence or under a ‘supervision period’.
This means they are on probation, and can be called back at any time to complete the sentence.
...when you leave prison, you leave it a free man. That's a bulwark of our justice system, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteIt used to be.
I would sooner see someone sentenced to 6 months and serve it fully, rather than 12 months and be released early. Instead of early release for good behaviour, simply extend sentences for those who misbehave inside.
Jail (how come we don't use Gaol now?) should be a short, sharp, shock. It works best that way for most petty criminals not this woolly, liberal, half-way house nonsense, with after care, probationary hand holding, partnering programs, drug/alcohol initiatives and free windshield cover.
Do the crime, do the time.
Now there's no light at the end of the tunnel for those that wish to rehabilitate themselves. You don't walk out of jail a free man, instead you're sucked ever deeper into the criminal justice system. Whether its for weeks, months or for life (in respect of the DNA database). You're never quite free... so what's the point of even trying? In their efforts to pry people off the path to career criminality, we're turning them into lifetime cons. Forever marked, forever watched.
As a policy, this is right up there with the very worst of them.
Will this apply to Chris (I'm a careful driver, me) Huhne and Vicky (I was just an abused wife) Price? No, I didn't think so!
ReplyDeletePenseivat
How about we let them out, but only let back the ones with British passports?
ReplyDelete"It was nothing short of a con and one, if you or I tried it, rather than a Government 'approved' Agency, we would very quickly end up in Court."
ReplyDeleteQuite so :/
"They have NOT served their time on release.."
Then don't release them!
"Will this apply to Chris (I'm a careful driver, me) Huhne and Vicky (I was just an abused wife) Price?"
Oh, I've no doubt there'll be an exemption for the elite. There always is...
I heartily recommend WoaR's suggestion! :)
ReplyDeleteXX "They have NOT served their time on release.."
ReplyDeleteThen don't release them! XX
Quite agree, but it does NOT fit with your supposition, that "they have served their debt to society".
They have NOT. And, therefore, are quite correctly restricted.