Prison - Anyone been Inside?

[LibertyBell]

Aint it disgusting, all that money wasted, they are better things to spend money on, like cancer treatments etc

 

so what is your alternative?

 

There should definitely be fewer people locked up 24/7. More community or part time sentences with prison reserved for violent/repeat offenders.

 

The monetary cost of keepoing someone in prison is only the tip of the iceberg if you think abou the cost of keeping someone unproductive and away from their family.

[brooksy]

Prison is far from cushty, its a terrible place to go. You lose your freedom, that is the main thing, and you are made to feel like a nobody.

 

Not everyone gets to have a TV in their cell, things like that have to be earned, its all about giving the prisoners an incentive to behave, and it works.

To be honest it should be made as terrible as possible for the inmates.If they kept there noses clean they woudnt be in there.Homless have it worse than some of these people ---- em isay.

[BasilRathbon]

ThHere was an excellent report on Newsnight a few weeks back by some LibDem MP, who suggested that, far from building more prisons and condemning thousands of people to a life of crime, we should do away with prisons altogether and have criminals contribute to society to make amends for their crimes. It was a very persuasive idea, but the guy also interviewed a tabloid editor who said that such a suggestion would be career suicide and had no chance of ever becoming law.

[Heyesey]

so what is your alternative?

 

There should definitely be fewer people locked up 24/7. More community or part time sentences with prison reserved for violent/repeat offenders.

 

And those who don't turn up for their community service. And community service should mean doing something USEFUL, unlike now.

[AndyK]

The prison discussion is fascinating. I spent last week in Ranby as a visitor to clarify my previous post ( I was not banged up !) as part of a voluntary sector diversity visit - absolutely fascinating and 1038 men crammed into 1038 places.

 

Anyway looking forward to this big prisons week next week on BBC Radio Sheffield !

[sassylady]

does anyone know how much help if any is given to people leaving prison?i personally think that in some cases a short sharp shock of prison would be more effective than a long sentence before they have chance to settle and while the shock is there pull them out on a last chance scenario or they are sent back in.

[KJ_VENOM]

does anyone know how much help if any is given to people leaving prison?i personally think that in some cases a short sharp shock of prison would be more effective than a long sentence before they have chance to settle and while the shock is there pull them out on a last chance scenario or they are sent back in.

 

there are support systems for ethnic minorities (which there should be) and drug addicts (which there shouldnt) but when i left prison i wasnt able to do my job as i had a tag on i couldnt sign on because my girlfriend was working i tried to get some help the probation board sent mr to a place that helps ppl just out of prison when i told the woman my story she what my drug of choice was i replied i didnt do drugs and was told they couldn't help me if i was a druggie they could have given me £200 to buy a suit and various other things to find a day job

 

i was a little dismayed at this

[Hjdary]

I'm would like to work for the prison service. I have been thinking about it since I saw a programme on the TV a few month back.

 

Before I start sending applications off though, I would be interested in talking to some serving prison officers to see what they think of the job. My other half thinks I'm nuts but its something that I really fancy.

[sassylady]

there are support systems for ethnic minorities (which there should be) and drug addicts (which there shouldnt) but when i left prison i wasnt able to do my job as i had a tag on i couldnt sign on because my girlfriend was working i tried to get some help the probation board sent mr to a place that helps ppl just out of prison when i told the woman my story she what my drug of choice was i replied i didnt do drugs and was told they couldn't help me if i was a druggie they could have given me £200 to buy a suit and various other things to find a day job

 

i was a little dismayed at this

do you think that as a part n parcel of being tagged probation should help re-adjust and help try to gain employment.were you given any help at all?

[KJ_VENOM]

do you think that as a part n parcel of being tagged probation should help re-adjust and help try to gain employment.were you given any help at all?

 

i saw a duty probation person and told him what had happened he said he would put a grant claim into the probation for £100 for interview clothes when i went to see my own probation person she informed me she had cancelled the claim as she thought i wouldnt qualify:rant: , i had two interviews lined up one was the very next day when she told me i said i would cancel the interviews and wouldnt be going back to see her thus breaking my license and leaving myself up for re-imprisonment, in prison i could earn enough to buy my own tobacco and toiletries on the outside with no prospect of doing my own job and no dole i was relying on my girlfriend to support me (i know its not pc but i've never had a woman support me) when i told her this she partially relented and got me £25 from petty cash which i used to buy a shirt tie and a pair of trousers (primark) for my interviews after that day i had no respect for her or the probation service in general.

 

as i see it the only thing the probation did for me (and again this was the duty probation officer) sent me to a place called rainer where i re-took my gcse english and maths (which i passed 93.1% english, 94.6% maths)

 

when i only had a about a month to go on the tag i stopped going to the probation totally

 

i'm now back doing my own job and getting my life back on track