The idea of them using gym equipment is that they all bulk up to the ridiculous sizes where they inhibit their own movement, which makes them easier to control by the guards as they, allegedly, can't swing their limbs about as much.

 

I think it depends on what your idea of a criminal is. Anyone remember the guy on Pistonheads who got sent down for crashing into a biker while on a driving meet? If that was my husband or brother or friend I doubt very much that I would think prisons are too soft, I'd just be terrified for them. The scum who burgled my house - bread and water and hard labour would still be too good for them. So, I don't know.

 

Prisons are too soft. I have met a few people who have been inside for various things. Basically, if you are street wise then prison is fine, if not good for you. If you are upstanding, a bit posh and a little soft then prison life is nasty.

So, for the hardened criminals that the system is meant to punish its a cakewalk (normally). For those who don't really belong in prison its a nightmare.

Whole system needs to be turned on its head. All prisoners should have to work, even if its just a menial pointless task. Like digging a hole, and getting another prisoner to fill it back up This is assuming that they cannot be usefully tasked.

Education needs to play an import part, as we should always ensure that a route out of the mess they are in is offered. If we don't offer this route then even the ones that want to do something about their life cannot. Which in turn means that we end up paying for them to be inside or on benefit for life.

 

But what actually constitutes freedom

A genaration ago they had four walls and slopping out

now they may have mobiles sky and scoobynet for all i konw

 

Surely that shoud be 'Nowt'



Do not pass go ..

 

As I said, depends where you are, in some prisons you can go home at weekends, in others your locked down for 23 hours out of 24.

Privelages are acrued depending what you do, some engage, some dont.

Some prisons give you lots of association time, some dont.

Internet access is denied at Walton or HMP Liverpool, or at least on the wings.

But drugs are regularly catapulted over the wall into the yard from a nearby cemetary.

Walton is a miserable victorian hole, hot in the summer and cold in the winter, it has a high remand population and self harm is rife.

Yet Lancaster Farms is like Butlins/Pontins....horses for courses.

 

I agree totally.
However, I do beleive they should have the option of furthering their education.

 

When I was in Uni, one of my friends got locked up for a few months after a fight. Because he was in the middle of doing a degree at the time, they put him on day release, so he walked out of the prison in the morning, and just had to be back in the evening after lectures finished.

In his case this was great as he wasn't a danger to anyone, wasn't involved in criminal activities, and it wouldn't have been any benefit to anyone to keep him in all day.

But I do agree that for a certain percentage of prisoners, they don't have any fear of being locked up - in fact, there are some who welcome the thought of a few months inside over the winter where they are warm and fed, and basically have more facilities than they do on the outside ( playstation, TV, as many drugs as they want etc... )