[jambutty]

We are told that the prisons are almost full to overflowing and the government has no plans in place to remedy the situation other than using police cells.

As most prisoners are re-offenders the reason for full prisons is obvious to me. The first term wasn’t severe enough to deter them from offending again.

The PC brigade wouldn’t agree to this but a spell of porridge should be so unpleasant that on being released the prisoner thinks twice before re-offending.

What about a prisoner serving the full term handed down by the judge?

The first third of which is, for want of a better description, ‘hard labour’ with no privileges whatsoever other than one hour a day to listen to or watch the news.

If a prisoner causes problems during ‘hard labour’ s/he does not go to the next phase but stays in ‘hard labour’ until s/he does conform or has served the full term of porridge. If the prisoner successfully negotiates that spell without any problems the next third would concentrate on rehabilitation plus some extra privileges.

If a prisoner causes problems during the rehabilitation phase s/he stays in that phase until s/he does conform or has served the full term of porridge. If the prisoner successfully negotiates that spell without any problems the prisoner becomes eligible for parole during the final third of the prison term.

Punish, rehabilitate, forgive and return to society a changed person.

There will always be a few who will want to take revenge and refuse to conform but I feel sure that the majority would not want to go back for a second spell.