Prisons Minister right to reply is wrong
Why am I not surprised that a government minister has made a statement claiming that the government is right? Especially, given that David Hanson MP has responsibility for prisons as minister of state for justice, and that it is his department he is defending in his response to the Guardian piece by David Wilson. I would be surprised if he had said that the government was wrong. Which it clearly is.
David Hanson has made the same mistake recently made by Nick Herbert, ie, "Prisons are there to punish".
It is the role of magistrates and judges to punish offenders by the imposition of a sentence be it custodial or non-custodial.
The government has decided that it will build Titan prisons, therefore it needs to occupy the cell spaces otherwise it will be a costly and pointless exercise. Which it will be anyway, because the Carter Report advocating Titan prisons is flawed.
David Hanson concludes: "We need a sensible debate on the purpose of prison - I believe the government is right to say that it is there to punish and reform". I find it odd that he declares what the purpose of prison is, then advocates that there should be a debate on the purpose of prison, and once more states that he believes the government is right with its view of what the purpose of prison is.
A mixture of law, politics, autobiography and humour. Once described as "The Devilish Advocate" (Guardian), I do have the ability to provoke a response. Sometimes it comes from someone who uses a thought process, and sometimes from jerks usually associated with the knee.
The logic does seem distinctly woolly headed.
ReplyDeleteMore to the point, the illogic is woolly headed.
ReplyDelete