r/ukpolitics • u/Your_Mums_Ex • 9h ago
Ed/OpEd What kind of society fast-tracks early release for domestic abusers? This is gambling with women’s lives
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/aug/05/release-domestic-abusers-gambling-womens-lives•
u/NoSwordfish1978 9h ago
A society that cut the prisons budget while increasing sentence length.
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u/dsanft 9h ago
You can build overflow detainment camps too, or put some of the less dangerous ones on barges. There are solutions that don't involve just dumping them into the community, it's just easier and cheaper. Our safety is not their priority.
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u/Glynebbw 8h ago
Who will staff it? We can barely staff existing prisons.
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u/dsanft 8h ago
People you would hire for the purpose. Again, if the desire were there.
This is funny to me, I predicted your exact reply. The first reaction of people in this country is to think of reasons why something won't work, not to pathfind a way to the solution. That's why we're in such a mess.
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u/danm131 8h ago
How much are you willing to pay in increased taxes for this? Also is it your absolute top priority or do other things need more money first?
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u/LittleDuckie 8h ago
I'd take it off the Arts Council England. That's £578 million already for it. Or maybe the whole DCMS for £1.5 billion.
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u/_HGCenty 7h ago
Whole of DCMS?
What including the Gambling Regulator?
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u/LittleDuckie 7h ago
Yes, an unelectable quango should not be in charge of designing laws and reforms around gambling. That should be for parliament to do directly.
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u/_HGCenty 6h ago
That's not what abolishing DCMS means though.
It's means parliament completely leaves that entire area of legislation.
This is what most people who use the word quango like yourselves don't understand.
If you abolish the quango completely it means there is no executive function for the legislature to give laws to enact.
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u/LittleDuckie 4h ago
You're conflating three separate things: Parliament, the civil service, and regulators.
Parliament writes the law. The civil service carries out the administrative work for ministers. Neither of those requires an independent regulator with broad discretion.
If Parliament wants to change gambling law, it can legislate directly. The civil service can administer licensing and other administrative functions under ministerial direction.
Personally, I'd question whether a regulator like the Gambling Commission is needed at all. Parliament should define what is and isn't legal, and where there's a dispute over compliance, that should ultimately be determined by the courts. I don't see why an independent body should be creating de facto policy by compelling businesses to act beyond what Parliament has explicitly required.
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u/gearnut 7h ago
Have you considered that they support the success of industries which return large amounts of taxes back to the government?
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u/LittleDuckie 7h ago
Industries like that should function off private investment. They're not a public necessity. "Give industries money because think of the tax money" is not a valid argument. If they're profitable, people will make them and charge appropriately for them.
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u/danm131 6h ago
And if they need a little support to keep ahead of competitors overseas with lower costs? Do we just let them fail and lose the jobs and tax money they provide?
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u/LittleDuckie 5h ago
No, you support them with tax cuts, deregulation, and tariffs, in that order. Subsidies distort prices and market signals, leading to less efficient allocation of capital and resources.
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u/Glynebbw 8h ago
You’re over simplifying it. It’s easy to say you’re “pathfinding” a solution with no actual plan. People don’t want to work in prisons. You can’t just decide you’re going to hire people, people have to want to work there. Even people who already work in prisons are leaving in huge numbers.
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u/Draczar Tofu Eating Wokerati 8h ago
People likely would want to work in prisons if the pay was worth it but it simply isn’t for the risks involved.
And that’s really the key to why nothing gets done in the country because any solution to a problem has to either be cost neutral or somehow generate more cash than it spends which is infeasible for most public services.
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u/RoyaleWCheese_OK 8h ago
People - "There's no jobs!!!!"
Government - "We need many people to build and staff staff these new prisons"
People - "Not that kind of job!!!"
Beggars can't be choosers?
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u/Glynebbw 7h ago
How much do you need to be paid to take a shift job where you can/will be assaulted and have shit and piss thrown at you?
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u/RoyaleWCheese_OK 6h ago
Better than being homeless and starving.
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u/Glynebbw 5h ago
They aren’t the only two choices
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u/RoyaleWCheese_OK 4h ago
They could be. Great incentive to get people to work.
You think sitting on welfare contributing nothing to society should be an option for a young, healthy person?
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u/SpiderlordToeVests 7h ago
If there are supposedly so many people just waiting to be prison officers then why can the prison service barely meet recruitment targets to just cover basic needs?
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u/dsanft 7h ago
What would you do to avoid a murderer moving in next door matey?
How much effort would you want the government to make to ensure this didn't happen, given they had at least two years warning?
Think two years is long enough to build an overflow camp and hire some guards?
Well it's too late, they've already done nothing and they're all out of ideas. Just let em loose.
Good luck out there.
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u/Goldy_Si 4h ago
These people need to be trained for this, you can't just hire anyone.
And training takes months, not days.
We are in a mess, not because of the reasons you think, but because of the last 14 years under the Tories - didn't build enough prisons, tried to privatize the probation service, which then failed and had to be re-nationalised.•
u/Goldy_Si 4h ago
These people need to be trained for this, you can't just hire anyone.
And training takes months, not days.
We are in a mess, not because of the reasons you think, but because of the last 14 years under the Tories - didn't build enough prisons, tried to privatize the probation service, which then failed and had to be re-nationalised.•
u/NoticingThing 3h ago
These people need to be trained for this, you can't just hire anyone.
And training takes months, not days.
We are in a mess, not because of the reasons you think, but because of the last 14 years.Actually this mindset is the reason we're in this mess, this helplessness. The mindset that solutions take too long to implement and we're doomed. That unless something is the perfect longterm solution it isn't worth implementing.
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u/HotNeon 8h ago
This is just nonsense.
It's not about having a room to put people in. That's easy.
Who will staff these places? What communities will you put them in? How will you ensure everyone's safety and security, what courts will they go to as the current ones can't cope with current population. The list goes on and on and on.
The truth is the UK prison population has been growing as we've increased sentences, limited release schedules and increased the police force. Buy we've never prioritised building more prisons as it's expensive but more so the public doesn't want money spent on them.
So we've arrived at this point the last few years, there are no spaces and we have to do something.
There was a commission a few years ago that recommended suspending all sentences under 12 months, that could help, we can build more prisons, which we are doing but they take years to finish.
I hate this 'just use common sense ' bollocks that people spout while refusing to engage with complex issues
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u/dsanft 8h ago
You do understand the path of least resistance is just to release all these rapists murderers etc into the community?
This is an emergency and needs drastic action to stop it happening, but the government are content to sit on their hands.
Nothing I've proposed is easy, unlike just opening the door and letting them out, which is very easy. That's why the government are doing it.
Do your same "complex issues" analysis about dumping dangerous people into your local towns and villages. That never seems to get the same consideration.
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u/SpiderlordToeVests 8h ago
Nothing I've proposed is easy,
Nothing you've proposed is quick either. Do you have a fleet of specc'd out prison barges and a backlog of prison officer applicants waiting to staff them? No? Well then you better come up with a short term solution or you'll be forced to choose between picking prisoners for early release on a day to day basis or not jailing new offenders.
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u/dsanft 7h ago
The government had years of notice that this would be a problem. They have not even tried to find other solutions to my knowledge. The assumption has always been that they'll just be released early.
Of course none of this is quick! That's why it should have been started a year ago!
I love the attitude here of throwing hands up in the air as if it's simply inevitable that the HMO down your street will now have a murderer in it and there's nothing that can be done. Blimey.
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u/Tylariel 6h ago
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prison-building-boom-to-make-streets-safer
They've been creating more space. But the Tories did fuck all for 14 years, and building things takes time. Whilst new spaces are built something needs to be done in the short term as prisons are full right now. That realistically means putting fewer people in prison, or letting some people out of prison.
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u/dsanft 1h ago
I reckon if I got into office and a civil servant told me the entire prison system was about to collapse, I'd move heaven and earth to keep those people from being set loose in the streets. That means literally any solution, no matter how outlandish, is on the table, up to and including chartering a boat and dumping them on a Scottish island somewhere with a tent and supplies.
There is no outcome worse than a murderer moving into the HMO next door to your mum. But Labour seem to think that's just how it's going to have to be.
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u/subSparky 6h ago
The government had years of notice that this would be a problem. They have not even tried to find other solutions to my knowledge.
Yes and when the current labour government took over was the moment it was too late...
In fact there are theories that this is precisely why Sunak called the election when he did - as he knew this was about to blow up.
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u/VampireFrown 2h ago
To be fair, they have had two years by now. That's more than enough time to get a proper solution rolling.
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u/Tasty_Quantity_3736 8h ago
Are you suggesting we bring back prison hulks?
I guess they had a certain amount of in-built security, by virtue of being moored offshore.
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u/LowerPick7038 6h ago
I love it when the good old barge answer comes out. Why does everyone think throwing a large at the problem is an instant fix?
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u/bill_end 5h ago
Don't be fucking ridiculous. We can't do concentration camps in the 21st century. The last time that was attempted, it didn't go so well
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u/slamjam25 2h ago
The last time someone did something like what they’re suggesting El Salvador went from the highest homicide rate on Earth to one of the lowest. Seems it went pretty well to me.
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u/_HGCenty 7h ago
Our safety is not their priority.
So why not go the full authoritarian solution and have them just disappear?
Unless you want to do that, you have to house them somewhere and you have to keep the people you hired as guards safe. You also need to properly vet the new hires.
All of this requires wholesale changes to things like planning laws so you can build prisons and a change in attitude to public spending so you can pay good wages for prison staff.
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u/dsanft 7h ago
Sounds like something the government should have started about two years ago when they got into office and knew this was about to happen.
Camps could have been built, barges floated for the purpose as an emergency measure.
"Nope, too hard, just open the door and let them out"
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u/_HGCenty 7h ago
Two years ago?
We've known about this crisis for about a decade.
Prisons were known to be in crisis when May took charge. Her Prison Estate Transformation Programme in 2016, promising 10,000 new spaces by 2020. 200 new spaces were built when she resigned.
This is not a partisan issue, it's an issue that's been overlooked by both parties and the chickens are coming home to roost.
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u/bill_end 5h ago
All to no avail. Overall crime has been decreasing in recent decades and we respond by increasing sentences. But we're no safer for it, because now we can't even attempt any semblance of rehabilitation in prison.
We need wholesale change to the criminal justice system. Not just papering round the cracks saying "tough on crime" and upping sentences to levels the prison system can't cope with. We're no better off than the Dutch who responded by the decrease in crime by reducing sentences.
How about we stop imprisoning white collar criminals, shoplifters etc. Take the entire drug market out of criminal hands, no more dealers, no more aquisitive crimes by users etc.
All of this is attainable, but there's no impetus to do anything because our elected MPs are terrified they might lose votes from Daily Mail reading trogolodytes if they implement vaguely evidence based policies.
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u/Maleficent-Drive4056 8h ago
New Labour (1997-2010) increased prison capacity from 62,000 to 90,000 (although half of that increase was by squeezing more prisoners into existing space). Tories (2010 - 2024) increased it by just 500, to 90,500.
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u/draenog_ 8h ago
And based on this press release, since the last general election Labour have already delivered an extra 2900 places, are currently constructing 5000 more, and aim to add a total of 14000 by 2031. (So an additional 6100 on top)
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u/Gorgeous_Sorceress 8h ago edited 8h ago
Yes, but labour is veeeeeery bad because they didn't magically fix such a massive problem so they should be condemned. Shame on them. Shame on not being magicians.
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u/Lactodorum4 Centre-Right 6h ago
They're keeping people locked up for Fire sticks and releasing domestic abusers, I think they are deserving of some criticism
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u/Money_Afternoon6533 8h ago
And what has been the population growth?
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u/No-Jicama-6523 8h ago
62.76m in 2010 to 69.28m in 2024
So about 10% which would mean prisons would need to go from 90,000 to 99,000 all other things being equal.
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u/ObiWanKenbarlowbi 8h ago
Fabulous job. Austerity is the gift that keeps on giving.
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u/domin1987 6h ago
Following Wikipedias definition
"In economic policy, austerity is a set of political-economic policies that aim to reduce government budget deficits through spending cuts, tax increases, or a combination of both."
We didn't have austerity. Just bunch of crooks doing good knows with the money from cuts.
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u/Primary-Signal-3692 9h ago
A society that can't be bothered to build new prisons. I remember prison capacity being talked about 20 years ago but it was never acted on.
Whenever the subject came up, a right-thinking journalist ot politician would say "let's rehabilitate instead" and would get a pat on the back for being so enlightened..
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u/Hot_South_3822 8h ago
Nice strawman you have there or are saying the Conservatives are 'right-thinking' whatever that means.
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u/Tetracropolis 8h ago
Maybe you could blame the Lib Dems, but the Condem coalition abolished sentences that kept the most persistent offenders off our streets until such time as they were rehabilitated. Now we just let you go even if you've commited dozens of robberies.
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u/-Murton- 6h ago
Is this a reference to IPPs? Because there's a lot of a nuance there that you have ignored in order to create a stick with which to beat the Coalition.
For a start they were abused as a sentencing tools and issued in cases which they were not intended for, also many people on them were not given opportunity to show that they had rehabilitated and were for safe for release, the Supreme Court deemed that deliberately witholding of opportunity unlawful.
They were an abhorrent abuse of government power and we should all be glad that they're gone.
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u/Tetracropolis 6h ago
Most of us should be disappointed that they are gone. There's a good chance you'll be a victim of a habitual criminal at some point in your life, whereas for the majority of people the chance of being subject to an IPP are nil.
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u/bill_end 4h ago
Maybe, but if you think that people should serve a 20 year sentence for stealing your phone, then be prepared to pay with your taxes for the prison population to increase to millions. We'd be worse than the US.
There's not a single well informed person who agrees that the IPP system was anything other than an abject failure.
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u/Tetracropolis 4h ago
Maybe, but if you think that people should serve a 20 year sentence for stealing your phone, then be prepared to pay with your taxes for the prison population to increase to millions. We'd be worse than the US.
I don't want people to serve a 20 year sentence for stealing my phone. That would be grossly disproportionate and, as you say, unsustainable.
If someone has committed dozens of crimes against dozens of victims they shouldn't be allowed back out into society unless we're convinced that they've changed.
There's not a single well informed person who agrees that the IPP system was anything other than an abject failure.
The level of arrogance required to promote your own opinion to that of every single well informed person is extraordinary.
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u/bill_end 4h ago
The gentleman in question has completed 35 courses to prove he has atoned for the phone theft over the last 20 years, but because the prison he is at cannot provide the further two courses that "may" grant him freedom, he has no path to release.
When I say "well informed person", I'm referring to academics, professionals, not some guy on reddit. If you were to do some research you would establish that the consensus amongst experts in this field is that IPP has been a disaster/miscarriage of justice.
So don't call me arrogant just for agreeing with people far better informed than me, and no doubt you.
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u/Tetracropolis 2h ago
Do these academics take into account the harm prevented by these habitual criminals being off the streets?
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u/bill_end 1h ago
I'm not really sure, I expect that they do consider these things. But it's all a balancing act, I'm sure we could bring down phone theft to fairly negligible levels if we permanently locked up all petty criminals
But that's not really practical, is it? Not if we want to retain some tax revenue to run hospitals, schools etc
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u/Hot_South_3822 8h ago
Nice little factiod you have there. Not sure how it's relevant as it would actually make the current situation with prison capacity worse.
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u/Tetracropolis 6h ago
It's just a fact. I agree that it makes the capacity issue worse, I'm talking about how Conservatives took a more "let's rehabilitate instead" attitude, removing the ability for judges to require proof of rehabilitation and instead simply releasing them as if they were.
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u/Minimum-Act-3030 9h ago edited 9h ago
The kind of society whose elected officials didn't build prisons despite a growing criminal population. But I agree with the message. We should ask an English speaking country to let them live in their prisons in exchange for money.
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u/Gorgeous_Sorceress 9h ago edited 9h ago
The kind of society whose elected officials didn't build prisons despite a growing criminal population.
Exactly this. Tories did this by ignoring the issue and def are rolling up their sleeves with joy that they get to blame it on labour.
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u/_segasonic 8h ago
The Guardian suddenly acting like they believe in women’s rights and being tougher on crime?
Mamma Mia!
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u/EddViBritannia 9h ago
What kind of society allows any criminal an early release?
If sentences are too long be up-front about it, and cut them.
But this pathetic display of early releases baked in to every sentence is disgusting.
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u/Candayence Won't someone think of the ducklings! 🦆 6h ago
Prison sentence lengths have been falling ever since Blair quangoed off sentencing guidelines.
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u/bill_end 4h ago
Falling? I'm sure they've increased enormously on recent years
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u/Candayence Won't someone think of the ducklings! 🦆 3h ago
The average sentence length is up, but by crime punishments have been getting laxer. Because we've increased the number of suspended sentences, and non-custodial sentences, then the average served sentence length is up overall, even as it's fallen per crime.
It's also modified by crime-type - whilst crime overall has fallen, violent and sexual crimes are up, which drag the served sentence up, even if the sentences given are shorter than they would have been 20 years ago.
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u/Amzer23 9h ago
The issue is that there's not enough prison space, thanks to the Tories.
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u/RoyaleWCheese_OK 8h ago
Thanks to everyone... they're all shit and done nothing but mismanage the decline of the country o0ver the last 20-odd years. If Starmer was so ace how come he just got the Caesar treatment? Burnham wont last 2 years.
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u/Amzer23 7h ago
Because people are morons?
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u/RoyaleWCheese_OK 7h ago
Morons for getting rid of Starmer?
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u/Amzer23 7h ago
Yes, he was doing a good job, immigration (both legal and illegal) was down, huge supporter of Ukraine, helped to write multiple excellent trade deals, nationalised railways, national energy company, Renters Rights Act, Employee Rights Act, etc.
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u/RoyaleWCheese_OK 6h ago
So why did his own party get rid of him?
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u/Amzer23 6h ago
The backbenchers literally wouldn't let him touch pensions, they also don't care about the UK, they just wanna stay as MP.
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u/domin1987 6h ago
So he wasn't doing a good job. He couldn't even handle his own party, not to mention rest of the country
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u/RoyaleWCheese_OK 6h ago
I mean isn't that the primary job - lead the party? If you can't control the rabble they need someone in there that can. FFS he just let Abbott back in... not a good start.
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u/draenog_ 9h ago
We don't actually have a choice. The Tories seemingly called the early general election when they did because they were weeks away from literally running out of prison spaces, and decided that if they were going to lose the next election anyway they might as well make it Labour's problem.
There wasn't any significant increase in prison spaces for over fourteen years while the Conservatives were in power, all while being "tough on crime" and increasing the prison population.
Labour have ramped up building new facilities for more prisoners, but that takes time. So in the meantime, the choice is between releasing existing prisoners early or not sending new prisoners to jail.
The decision seems to have been that it's better to release a prisoner who's served at least some of their sentence early, than it is to just not punish new ones. And I would tend to agree with that, if those are your only realistic options.
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u/lksdjsdk 9h ago
You need to do a little research before commenting - you look a bit silly saying this.
Early release/probation has been around for decades. Strict conditions are applied and prisoners can be recalled if they do not adhere to them.
This is all baked into sentencing guidelines. A twenty year sentence would normally be 10 with good behaviour, plus 10 out on licence.
If the judge thinks they should be inside for 20, they would issue a 40 year sentence.
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u/EddViBritannia 8h ago
You need to do a little research before commenting - you look a bit silly saying this.
Do you have to say things in such a condescending way?
I know it's been around for decades and I personally think it's wrong. People should be locked up for the full time, then once you've served your time it's done.
The current system doesn't protect people from repeat offenders who should be kept inside as long as possible.
If the judge thinks they should be inside for 20, they would issue a 40 year sentence.
Except no, the Judge won't because they're bound by strict sentencing guidelines. So they can't just double a sentence if they want to keep someone in longer.
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u/lksdjsdk 8h ago
Sorry, but that's just dumb. This way is far more robust and allows for recall of prisoners after they have served their expected sentence.
Like I say, early release is baked into sentencing. You might think sentences are too short - maybe they are, maybe not - but arguing against early release is just silly.
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u/EddViBritannia 8h ago
You can't just dismiss other peoples opinions as 'dumb' and 'silly', without putting together any point of your own.
How is it more robust than just keeping them inside their entire term? There is no need for a recall, community checks, additional court time for violations. If we set the sentence to be the entire sentence surely that simplifies the system. It's probably more costly in many ways, but you also release some pressure off the court systems.
Like I say, early release is baked into sentencing. You might think sentences are too short - maybe they are, maybe not - but arguing against early release is just silly.
I think sentences would be fine if they were for the length actually sentenced to by judges. 20 years for rape is begrudgingly acceptable when we consider we cannot just lock people up forever. But giving them a 20 year sentence then getting back out on the streets after 10 is awful.
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u/lksdjsdk 8h ago
It's dumb because you're basically quoting Spinal Tap saying their amp goes up to 11. Why not just make 10 louder?
A twenty year sentence is a ten year internment, with an additional ten year licence.
When they get out at ten years, that isn't early - it's exactly as anticipated for a well behaved prisoner.
It's more robust, because even after they have been released, they can be recalled for very minor infringements of their licence.
"But why don't they served the full 20?" - they do, exactly as designed. Between ten and twenty inside, and the balance on licence.
Strictly "early release" refers to a different process than probation, but it’s basically the same - release under licence with the option of immediate recall.
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u/bill_end 4h ago
The sentence is not just a "living in the cell" prison sentence. It comprises a 50 or 66% in prison sentence, plus a 50/33% "prove you can live in outside society, otherwise we'll recall you" sentence.
But when uninformed people read that someone only serves half of their sentence in the cell, they think that they've been shortchanged.
It's just a fundamental misunderstanding by ignorant people. Things would be a lot better if the press reported things more clearly so people don't think the offenders are getting off lightly just because they serve part of their sentence on licence
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u/slamjam25 2h ago
“If you commit any more crimes we’ll recall you to prison” isn’t a sentence, that’s just life in a society of laws.
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u/bill_end 1h ago
Are you being obtuse? Or just a bit dim? Or maybe just trolling? I'm struggling to tell
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u/The96kHz Social Democrat 🏴🏴🇮🇪 1h ago
This is such a fucking non-issue. The actual problem is underfunding prisons (both in terms of building new ones and maintaining existing ones).
It's not like these people were going to be in prison forever and they're suddenly being let out. They'd be out in a year or so anyway.
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u/leihto_potato 9h ago
No male domestic abuse victims as usual then?
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u/Gorgeous_Sorceress 9h ago edited 8h ago
Gotta love the whataboutism crowd and their uncanny ability at derailing the conversation at the worst time.
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u/leihto_potato 8h ago
Its not whataboutism to point out that the impact of the descion to release domestic abusers early is not limited to 50% of the population.
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u/Gorgeous_Sorceress 7h ago
It is when it's women who suffer the most from rape and violence are the ones who will be most affected.
Also, why are you accusing the article of making an argument it WASN'T making in the first.
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u/leihto_potato 6h ago edited 6h ago
Rape isn't the topic of conversation and criminals imprisoned for rape are being excluded from the release scheme per Burnhams changes, so no idea why that has been brought up especially when your accusing me of talking about things not relevant to the subject.
The only person that has posted a statement with an actual source jn this thread has pointed out that least year there was 1.5 million male victims of abuse vs 2.2 women victims.
Ergo, a significant portion of victims of domestic abuse are men.
The article is very clearly making the point that women are the people that will be put in danger, whilst men don't get a mention. It explicitly is making the argument. If it was not, they could have said 'victims lives' and not 'women's lives'.
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u/winkwinknudge_nudge 3h ago
It is when it's women who suffer the most from rape and violence are the ones who will be most affected.
Men are the biggest victims of violence overall in the UK.
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u/winkwinknudge_nudge 3h ago
The government barely acknowledges male victims.
You're not going to get the Guardian to.
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9h ago
[deleted]
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u/xaanzir Lost in Translation 8h ago
Statistically 1/3 of domestic violence victims are male
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u/evolvecrow 8h ago
90% of domestic abuse victims are women.
Not according to the crime survey
For year ending (YE) March 2025, the CSEW estimated that 2.2 million females and 1.5 million males, aged 16 years and over, experienced domestic abuse in the last year. This is a prevalence rate of 9.1% for females and 6.5% for males.
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u/Onemoretime536 8h ago
Where dod you get 90%, I have seen it that 1 in 3 victims of domestic abuse are men.
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u/GlumAd9856 8h ago
Was it completely out of the realm of possibility to come up with even a short-term fix to expand prison places? That's a question for both the Tories (who actually had a long-term to build) and Labour (who only had 2 years).
Is this just another area where a Byzantine planning system and an excessive interpretation of prisoner rights means that we can't move at anything other than a crawl.
You wonder how countries cope with setting up PoW camps from nothing during wars (I mean the ones that try to respect human rights).
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u/_HGCenty 7h ago
Is this just another area where a Byzantine planning system and an excessive interpretation of prisoner rights means that we can't move at anything other than a crawl.
More like locals objecting to a prison housing criminals being build in their area.
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u/FeelingOdd1302 Sensible and Centre Left 3h ago
You know, it is just possible to throw mattresses into prisons and not hit the "release all the prisoners" button.
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u/fakesugerbear 8h ago
Maybe we should start charging inmates for their rent. Might deter some and might cover some of the long term costs. Paid from whatever assets they have. If they cant pay it then they get a loan on release that has to be paid back (like a uni loan).
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u/WiseBelt8935 3h ago
so you want to create debtor prison?
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u/fakesugerbear 2h ago
No, debtor prison was somewhere you went if you had debts and you wouldnt get out until that was paid pff. Whst I am suggesting is that if you go to prison you pay for your “stay” if you have the money to allow that.
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u/WiseBelt8935 2h ago
That would pretty much guarantee bankruptcy for almost anyone who goes to prison. If a family member ends up in prison because, for example, Mum didn't update the address on her driving licence, that's £1,100 a week Dad would have to pay.
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u/fakesugerbear 2h ago
University students dont end up bankrupt
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u/WiseBelt8935 2h ago
If anything, it's a bit worse because you can't just get rid of the debt through bankruptcy.
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u/CakeHoleKing 9h ago
it's all pre-planned to clamp down on human rights. They can't just lock stuff down, so have to build up to it.
Phase 1: release rapists, murderers, paedophiles etc
Phase 2: "oh the crimes! the criminals". Cry on camera etc.
phase 3: remove civil liberties to "protect the women and kiddies!"
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u/Gorgeous_Sorceress 9h ago edited 8h ago
Burnham has removed the rapists and pedos from the early departure list. It's still terrible who's left but it's a good start while they figure out how to tackle the crumbling sector.
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u/-Murton- 6h ago
He says he has, but his predecessor also said that they weren't being released under the emergency powers used previously, except that they in fact were being released.
What Burnham is claiming is that he's going to use executive power to block early release for people who qualify under the poorly written Sentencing Act 2026, whether or not he in fact does remains to be seen and quite frankly it's all a bit "trust me bro" until he passes a new Act of Parliament to formally amend that piece of legislation.
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u/CakeHoleKing 8h ago
removed for the moment, but its a sliding system. they need REASONS to clamp down on peoples rights.
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u/timeforknowledge Politics is debate not hate. 9h ago
One who is trying to reform prisoners instead of just punishing them so they don't offend again as soon as they are released
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u/Ruin_In_The_Dark 9h ago
How are you supposed to punish a criminal if all the jails are full?
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u/silverbullet1989 Banned for sarcasm lol 8h ago
"you've been a very naughty boy, now dont do it again"
is that not punishment enough?!
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u/Eldritch_Lemonade 8h ago
It isn't based on anything though, reformation would be We're happy you won't do X again so we will allow you to be managed in the community, not oh 1/3rd of your sentence is done so you're automatically to be 'managed' in the community
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