Jails Full? Well we'll let them go then...

Tak · 25-01-2007, 20:02

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/6299727.stm

Quote:

A man who downloaded child pornography to his computer has avoided jail after the home secretary asked judges to limit prison terms due to overcrowding.

I'm sorry but WTF?????? Surely if prisons are so full, crime isn't going down.
Two other articles 1 and 2 also seem to show that craime is getting worse, but whats the odds that when the government "statistics" some out, it'll show that its decreasing.

Mark · 25-01-2007, 20:20

Petty crime is going down, serious, violent crime is going up. Hence they can claim that crime overall is going down.

Longer sentences (such as these new indeterminate sentences) is a good measure of what's causing this. The home secretary accuses judges of being too lenient, so sentences go up. Criminals get banged up longer. More of them as well. Oops, we've just run out of space.

Like all statistics, you can usually 'interpret' them to fit the story you want to put out, and this is no exception. It's not like the Government didn't know this was going to happen either.

8 I3ALL · 25-01-2007, 20:39

Today a judge (after he read the new prison directive from the goverment) sentenced a pedophile to community service !!!!!

WTF

Von Smallhausen · 26-01-2007, 18:58

And it makes us look like **** !

Top marks Home Office, top marks.

Mark · 26-01-2007, 19:02

And another one's been let go.

The whole lot is coming apart at the seams. Summer of discontent, anyone? I bet TB is laughing his head off that he's quitting and leaving the mess for someone else.

Flibster · 27-01-2007, 00:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by 8 I3ALL

Today a judge (after he read the new prison directive from the goverment) sentenced a pedophile to community service !!!!!

WTF

Probably will end up picking up rubbish around a playground or something like that too.

Simon/~Flibster

Von Smallhausen · 27-01-2007, 16:53

Last week I was working a 12 hour shift on my weekend off to work on Safeguard, which is the operational name for the care of Home Office prisoners in designated police stations.

When I went in at 7am, there was nobody in and there have been few in the designated station in the force area since it started again. The last round of this was Container a couple of years back.

By 1pm there were 4 remand prisoners from a court in Northumberland and once they were housed we got a call to say that there were 4 from the Nottinghamshire area .... 3 hours away. The sergeant queried why Notts remand prisoners were coming to the north-east and the answer was frightening. There was nowhere else in the country. We were told that there were 4 spaces left in the country with 4 remand prisoners to fill those.

Police cells are wholly inadequate for Home Office prisoners and the situation as it stands is a disgrace, not to mention potentially dangerous. To see a paedophile walk away from court because of a lack of spaces turns my stomach and sets a very dangerous precedent.

The government have known about this for a long time and they have had years to start a prison building programme but have chosen to stick their heads in the sand it seems.

Desmo · 31-01-2007, 10:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark

Petty crime is going down, serious, violent crime is going up. Hence they can claim that crime overall is going down.

Is it really? Or are less petty crimes not being reported as people think/know that nothing will be/can be done about it? We had our car boot scratched in Swansea and didn't report it. We've had our car scratched outside our house (along with another 3 cars) and as far as I know it wasn't reported by anybody. How many drunken fights or abuse go unreported?

Maybe we are part of the problem by not reporting these things but then it's usually seen as a waste of time.

And don't get me started on re-classifying crime to fiddle the figures

Mark · 31-01-2007, 11:21

You're probably right - I'm sure the majority of what could be considered (by the police) as minor crime never even gets near a crime reference number.

And I won't get you started on reclassifying crime - it happens. Though in this case I'd argue that would be counter-productive - I'd certainly prefer it if the violent crime was going down, not up.

Von Smallhausen · 31-01-2007, 11:51

When I joined nearly 7 years ago, recording was different. If someone was assaulted and sid so but then said they would not make a statement then it was not recorded as a crime.

Now, everything is. If someone says that they were assaulted but will not provide information or a statement about what happened then it has to be recorded under ethical crime recording. If one 15 year old shoves his mate or slaps him across the head and that is reported then it is a common assault, therefore recordable, and as common assault ( the lowest form of assault ) is classed as violent crime then this has the effect of pushing recorded crime through the roof. When you here of violent crime going up, it is caused by the recording of many trivial incidents that would not have been recorded not so long back.

25-01-2007, 20:39	#3
8 I3ALL Vodka Martini Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: In Forum Heaven Posts: 732	Today a judge (after he read the new prison directive from the goverment) sentenced a pedophile to community service !!!!! WTF __________________ MySpace

26-01-2007, 18:58	#4
Von Smallhausen I'm Free Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Tyneside Posts: 3,061	And it makes us look like **** ! Top marks Home Office, top marks. __________________ " Well, old bean, life is really so bloody awful that I feel it’s my absolute duty to be chirpy and try and make everybody else happy too." David Niven, 1910-1983.

27-01-2007, 16:53	#7
Von Smallhausen I'm Free Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Tyneside Posts: 3,061	Last week I was working a 12 hour shift on my weekend off to work on Safeguard, which is the operational name for the care of Home Office prisoners in designated police stations. When I went in at 7am, there was nobody in and there have been few in the designated station in the force area since it started again. The last round of this was Container a couple of years back. By 1pm there were 4 remand prisoners from a court in Northumberland and once they were housed we got a call to say that there were 4 from the Nottinghamshire area .... 3 hours away. The sergeant queried why Notts remand prisoners were coming to the north-east and the answer was frightening. There was nowhere else in the country. We were told that there were 4 spaces left in the country with 4 remand prisoners to fill those. Police cells are wholly inadequate for Home Office prisoners and the situation as it stands is a disgrace, not to mention potentially dangerous. To see a paedophile walk away from court because of a lack of spaces turns my stomach and sets a very dangerous precedent. The government have known about this for a long time and they have had years to start a prison building programme but have chosen to stick their heads in the sand it seems. __________________ " Well, old bean, life is really so bloody awful that I feel it’s my absolute duty to be chirpy and try and make everybody else happy too." David Niven, 1910-1983.

31-01-2007, 11:51	#10
Von Smallhausen I'm Free Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Tyneside Posts: 3,061	When I joined nearly 7 years ago, recording was different. If someone was assaulted and sid so but then said they would not make a statement then it was not recorded as a crime. Now, everything is. If someone says that they were assaulted but will not provide information or a statement about what happened then it has to be recorded under ethical crime recording. If one 15 year old shoves his mate or slaps him across the head and that is reported then it is a common assault, therefore recordable, and as common assault ( the lowest form of assault ) is classed as violent crime then this has the effect of pushing recorded crime through the roof. When you here of violent crime going up, it is caused by the recording of many trivial incidents that would not have been recorded not so long back. __________________ " Well, old bean, life is really so bloody awful that I feel it’s my absolute duty to be chirpy and try and make everybody else happy too." David Niven, 1910-1983.

25-01-2007, 20:20	#2
Mark Screaming Orgasm Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Newbury Posts: 15,194	Petty crime is going down, serious, violent crime is going up. Hence they can claim that crime overall is going down. Longer sentences (such as these new indeterminate sentences) is a good measure of what's causing this. The home secretary accuses judges of being too lenient, so sentences go up. Criminals get banged up longer. More of them as well. Oops, we've just run out of space. Like all statistics, you can usually 'interpret' them to fit the story you want to put out, and this is no exception. It's not like the Government didn't know this was going to happen either.

26-01-2007, 19:02	#5
Mark Screaming Orgasm Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Newbury Posts: 15,194	And another one's been let go. The whole lot is coming apart at the seams. Summer of discontent, anyone? I bet TB is laughing his head off that he's quitting and leaving the mess for someone else.

31-01-2007, 11:21	#9
Mark Screaming Orgasm Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Newbury Posts: 15,194	You're probably right - I'm sure the majority of what could be considered (by the police) as minor crime never even gets near a crime reference number. And I won't get you started on reclassifying crime - it happens. Though in this case I'd argue that would be counter-productive - I'd certainly prefer it if the violent crime was going down, not up.