Don't enfranchise prisoners
The mayhem caused in Ford open prison should make the government think twice when it comes to giving UK prisoners the right to vote.
This bizarre institution in West Sussex was a powder keg and it is just a stroke of luck that everyone emerged unscathed. Ford is a holiday home for undesirables waiting to be released. Liquor, drugs and sex are de rigueur and the term prison is a contradiction in terms.
The UK, apparently, has a "legal obligation" to let some prisoners vote but it is now obvious that it would be akin to issuing five-year-olds with hand grenades. The damage bill at Ford prison will be in excess of £3m and I bet my last Rollo that ultimately no offender will face prosecution. The UK faces another two years of austerity and the last thing we need is law-breakers going crazy in badly run jails because they can't booze their lives away at Her Majesty's Pleasure.
Geordie Campbell
Aldwick, Sussex
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment