Just visiting jail
"It's like a holiday camp". So said one "old lag" (though just 25 he'd already spent 10 years inside) to the justice secretary on a in Surrey. Jack Straw was showing me round a new block at Highdown prison. It's one part of a prison building programme which he hopes will avert a prison crisis.
Houseblock 5 at Highdown is much much nicer than the rest of the prison. If you're in "5" you get a cell to yourself with a TV (prisoners have had TVs since a decision taken by Mr Mr Straw a decade ago when he was home secretary) and there's even a socket for a PC - although, the justice secretary is quick to say he won't sanction that luxury.
Elsewhere in the prison life is far from being like a holiday camp - three men have to share small cells built for two. All parties agree that prison overcrowding means that prisoners cannot do the courses and do not have the space to prepare for a successful return to the real world.
The new cells are part of what's meant to be a solution to the prisons crisis. Figures out today show that the number of spare prison places in England and Wales amounts to just one half of one per cent of the total - that's 470 out of more than 82,000. If it weren't for the use of police cells and the controversial policy of early release the prison system would already be in meltdown.
The problem is that as quickly as ministers build new prison places, the courts have been filling them. The block I visited and one next to it which opens soon cost £60 million to build. Each could be filled in just a week by the extra prisoners coming from the courts. As a result Mr Straw says that he cannot rule out extending the early release scheme in the future. He told me that:
"Nobody in my position can rule out emergency measures but, by God, I'm working very, very hard to avoid that because this is all about maintaining the confidence of the public."
And, though wary of telling the courts what to do, he has this piece of advice for them: "Short sentences are a matter for the courts to decide and it has to be for them. What I am saying, however, is just think about whether community punishments in appropriate circumstances, which can be very tough, and on average can work better than short sentences, should not be used."
The justice scretary was speaking to me ahead of a major speech on penal policy which he will deliver next Wednesday.
I'm 
Comments
Televisions, eh? State-side, in Arizona, they have a jail where inmates sleep outside in tents, wear pink boxers, and eat bologna dyed green with food coloring.
Sixty MILLION pounds for two prison blocks? And why put in PC sockets if they can't be used?
So there we have it, straight out of the old lag's mouth "It's like a holiday camp"
It is obvious to all but the terminally myopic, that unless we have prisons that prisoners don't wish to be in, we will always have an overcrowding problem.
Wake up at the home office, prison is supposed to be a punishment, not a vacation.
While jail is not ideal for all minor offenders, I wish that Mr Straw would consider the victims of crime. I, and many others, have had to spend cash repairing smashed car windows. I pay since I don't want to lose my no claims bonus. If you must keep offenders out of jail, then give them community punishments that really do punish them.
And TVs should be a priviledge, not a right for prisoners.
A lot of poor governance and crime seems caused by similar reasons to the British problem with binge drinking. This has touched the depth and breadth of Britain and judges are no different, as their little temper tantrum over fat cat pensions and more out of touch judgements suggest. Jack Straw's caution to get real is a welcome touch of sanity.
My general hope is that businesses and communities beg showing leadership in their own way and drain the swamp of the causes of crime. That means investment in creating new jobs and better attitudes in society. While some sacrifice has to be made it's better and cheaper in the long-run as people become more productive and less damaged.
A generation of fear and greed, and looming turbulence in the global economy is a cloud we're all under but if this glint of hope can be developed by the government then Prime Minister Gordon Brown's vision, or narrative, will begin to develop momentum. Somehow, I don't think Grand Moff Cameron or Salacious Clegg have realised that.
All hail Blessed Leader!
As a prosecutor for HM Customs& Excise in the 1980s,I recall a similar problem prevailing, which was dealt with in much the same piecemealpattern; i.e. early release,extensive use of Police cells etc. Hiring of floating prisons was mooted,and may have been used.
To the best of my recolection, it was a rsult of this problem that Community Service orders were instituted.
It is obviously not a problem that has crept up on the Government without their being aware of it, and both they and their predecessors have had 20 years to dealwith it.
J.W. Warrell
Can I ask how much for a week in August? Does this include maid service and what time is dinner?
This is exactly why we need less lawyers and career politicians in our government.
Having worked at High Down I can inform you the real name for the prison is "Hotel High Down"!
The 'old lag' is better acquainted with the real world than the disconnected Jack Straw.
Perhaps they should trade places. The results couldn't be much worse than the botch-job we're experiencing under Nu-Labour.
'Tough on crime; tough on the causes of crime'...
Oh, what a hollow ring those words of a certain Mr Blair have now....
Let's bring back capital punishment.Life sentences too -meaning LIFE.Spartan accommodation too without all the creature comforts.A good flogging - corporal punishment for the youth.All these tested and proved methods should be brought back.We have pandered to the criminal classes long enough.First we have to purge the judicial system of all the liberals, social workers do gooders, leftists.
If a sentence was handed down of 25 years ( no parole ) to adults , whether it be for mugging or murder , there wouldn`t be overcrowding .
If a sentence was handed down of 10 years ( no parole ) to teenagers ( or from the age of responsibility ),there wouldn`t be any crime .
How Come ?
Crime is down and it's still falling
Media inspired fear is quite appalling
That's really good, that's really cool
How come the prisons are over-full ?
Crime is down, more police on the beat
It's safe to walk on any street
That's really good, that's really great
How come men get killed at their own front gate ?
Crime is low, inflation too
Statistics show it to be true
Fantastic! Progress set in granite
How come it feels like a different planet ?
Nick,
These sort of government sponsored trips are the modern equivalent of the Soviets showing people around their one modern tractor factory, pure propaganda. Why go on them?
The real question is why when Labour have been in power for over ten years haven't they have done something earlier?
When the adult is found guilty ,they should be given 25 years , ( mugging to murder ) no parole .
If a child (From the age of responsibility to age 18 ) commits a crime , then it should be 10 years , no parole .
An al Qaeda terrorist was returned to Belmarsh, where he was moved for radicalising prisoners, as he complained that Durham jail was "90 per cent white". Perhaps certain prisons are too crowded because they are 5 Star, having better TV, computers, etc. I suggest that Jack Straw and the judiciary should stop releasing criminals into the community unless they are personally prepared to stand bail for them as surety that they will not reoffend.
The '"Nobody in my position can rule out emergency measures but, by God, I'm working very, very hard to avoid that ..."' is the hackneyed pre-policy float.
So what do you think, next week he'll 'suddenly' announce a new policy of emergency measures for mass early releases?
Prisons are supposed to rehabilitate and prepare prisoners for a better life in the outside world. Given that, is it not a little depressing that prisoners are allowed a TV in their cells, but not one of the greatest tools for learning ever invented - a computer with internet access? This on the basis that the Justice Secretary "won't sanction that luxury".
"because this is all about maintaining the confidence of the public."
Not about maintaining the SAFETY of the public then!
Am i the only one sickened by the quote of the prisoner...."It's like a holiday camp"....how do his/her victims feel. I'm sorry, but a society cant welcome back people who have wronged it without knowing for sure they will never do the same crimes again, and why wouldn't they when they can re-offend and laze about in a cell with a telly, get meals every day for free, and get an education and qualifications that most working law obiding people would love to get if they had any spare time after coming in from work and paying taxes to fund these holiday camps.....the answer to the question of how to deal with these people will never be answered by some elected weasel with his sights solely fixed on re-election......
Look at why they are being put in prison:
Violent - To protect the public
Violent - Punishment
Violent - deterent
Fraud - punishment (taking away their freedom)
Fraud - deterent
Theft - Deterent
Theft - protect the public from reoffending
Theft - punishment
I think that the 'perks' within prison should reflect their reason for being in there.
If they need education they get it.
If they are educated and have abused their position (e.g. fraud) then take away their privilages...etc etc etc
tailor their living conditions to suit. I fail to see why i should pay for a guy in for fraud to do an OU degree for example - or yes the inmates will think its a holiday camp.
Hmmmm, So as soon as we build more prisons the courts fill them up. Hmmmm, Must be all down to the judges then.
Dont suppose it could be anything to do with the lack of parental control. (Not allowed to smack my child when she missbehaves in public. Just got to delicately tell her she is being naughty and carry on regardles).
Dont suppose it could be to do with the police being able to deal with problems themselves. (Not allowed to deliver a clip allongside the ear and march little Johny home to dad who would serve out family discipline) Instead a minimum of four policemen are taken off of the street to process the little gits and give them a verbal warning. Hmm thats working well, isnt it?
Back to basics is what Mr and Mrs Average want. RESPECT & DISCIPLINE and if it takes the cane at school early in the cycle of life to re-install it. Then so be it.
Iworked in a Cat C Prison from 1999 to 2004 and the term "Holiday Camp" is just about right-Sky Tele-Playstations-computers and the saying was "Dont upset the Inmates". A Prison Sentence should be a punishment and should also prepare Prisoners for returning to the real world on their release. Some of the Prison Sentences given are a joke-however-so is this Justice System of ours.
The problem is that as quickly as ministers build new prison places, the courts have been filling them.
Uhh no. The real problem is that we clearly have such a poor grip on law and order, criminals obviously feel they can break the law left and right so the small percentage of the people seen by the courts who get sent down are still drowning the prisons.
Time for a bit of what the politicians themselves would call "joined up thinking" methinks.
Yes, I saw this programme with the 'Justice' Secretary bending down to the prisoners and talking to them as if they were saintly and unlucky to be inside and he was not worthy to be in their presence (despite their mugging of innocent people).
In one room, I saw their tv, DVD player and about 20 Sony Playstation2 games - I've been working hard for nearly 20 years, never committed a crime and have only just been able to finally afford one of these computer game consoles. Even the prisoners complained it was like being in a holiday camp.
Well, is it any wonder they go out and perpetrate further crimes when they are allowed back into society to mingle with decent human beings? There's nothing to be fearful about as there is no punishment - only holiday camps.
Having said that, I do believe it is ridiculous that people are being locked up for taking drugs. It's absurd of the 'Justice' secretary to say that Judges shouldn't lock people up when his government have done nothing to break the gangster monopoly over the drugs market. If the govt is serious about freeing up prison places (and slashing crime by 40%) it should legalise and nationalise hard drugs immediately - take drugs off the gangsters who control them from the teenage hoodie hanging on street corners to the Mr Bigs lording it up over their local manors...GPs should be allowed to give free drugs to all drug takers so gangs and gangsters have no market anymore, there'll be no need for these prisoners to mug or burgle anybody as they would have free access to drugs, and 30,000 prison places will be freed up for serious criminals. It's a disgrace that no politician has learnt anything from 1920's America when prohibition was a disaster and made millionaires out of gangsters like Al Calpone.
So when will politicians like Straw wake up and stop pandering to the likes of the Sun and Mail and actually show some leadership? - you either liberalise drugs or penalise it (eg. as in China where they execute druglords) - we have the worst of all systems - we encourage gangsters to control a market thus having massive increases in violent crime, but then have mild punishments when we do catch these people. Straw complains about Judges locking people up when it is his own government's legislation that makes it inevitable - Politicians need to stop being so cowardly and worrying about ratings in the Daily Mail and take over the drug supply in this country and actually sort it out once and for all. How many more 9 year old children need to be shot in the streets of Salford, Brixton and similar before they accept their policies have totally failed..
"Norman Stanley Fletcher - you will go to prison for five days"
Where do I join the Hang 'em and FLog 'em brigade?
The problem is that as quickly as ministers build new prison places, the courts have been filling them
The real problem is that ministers have been building prison places veeeery veeerey sloooooooowly. Let's pop back to the real world, for a moment. It would cost about £8 billion to build another 80,000 prison places, doubling the current establishment. £8 billion is just roundings in the public spending budget - the public sector pension liability which doesn't even make it into the published budget increases by £5 billion a month. How long would this prison building take - maybe 5 years to do the lot.
So if they've been in for 10 years, they could easily have built 160,000 new prison places, and afforded it easily too. Why hasn't this been done ? Because they preferred to spend the money on other things. Like 800,000 extra civil servants.