Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).

Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.

cheers GF.

The dark ages. Plus when they had the ducking stool for misbehaving wives. Now that would be a vote winner.

But seriously, the Victorian times were far too barbaric and full of injustice. The problem is like most things that are wrong in life we have now gone too far in the other direction. My view is that once in prison you should be fed just sufficient basic food to keep you healthy. Only water to drink and very limited entertainment, a radio perhaps. If prisons had these conditions, sentencing could be reduced for many offences (not the most serious) and the effect on prisoners would be far more effective. The fear of being caught and punished would return. to me this is a no brainer.

There appears to be nothing to fear from a spell in prison, infact many who offend find the lifestyle far superior to the one they had outside, so it's only natural for them to want to get back in after their release, so they re-offend. So imo two solutions, improve their outside conditions and and reduce the attractiveness of prison. Isn't this similar to the benefits/work situation ie, why work for less than you can get in benefits.
2517

Greek.

They don't make ducking stools large enough to put the tory shadow cabinet in.

Mind the picture is appealing,

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For some, the prison conditions you describe would be better than their "home" environment.

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I do think that prisons should be cleaned up and attempts at the following may help.

1) there should be no illegal drugs permitted
2) mobile phones confscated
3) Gang behaviour should be prevented
4) thuggery should be prevented
5) TV and radios kept to a minnimun
6) rewards should be base on attendance at "useful" training (educational and for the possibility for future employment
7) More remedial group and individual psychological therapy to help to enable changes and reduce further transgressions.
8) I don't see why prisons should not in general provide a basic standard of accommodation and improvement to then based on the inmates actions.

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The training for psychologist and probation officers could be improved and their pay improved.

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This all costs money

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Also probably more important would be better training and selection of Social workers. It would also need giving them more powers to deal with "aberrant families" .

Facilities should be provided to remove members of such families.

But you are changing to a dictatorial state and costs MONEY.

George,

Agree again. Perhaps you, Fred, Chris, and several others on here, should stand for Parliament. Problem is the society blood sucking, benefit sponging brigade, (I am not including the genuine needy in this) criminals and their supporters would no doubt still vote for the lot that keep them in the parasitical manner they are used to.

Greek.

I thought traders were using the same parasitic skills legally, ie. living on others, producing nothing other than self profits doing little or nothing particularly useful for their community!

I am sure I will be told I am wrong.

Fred when we die and go to hell We will discover that there are two choices.. we can go to capitalist hell or to communist hell... Naturally we will want to compare the two so we will go over to capitalist hell. outside the door will stand the devil looking a bit like Ronald Reaganwe will ask Whats it like in there? the devil will reply in capitalist hell they flay you alive then they boil you in oil and then they cut you up into small pieces with sharp knives.
Now that dont sound great Fred so we will go and check out communist hell!there we will discover a huge queue of people waiting to get inFred you will look very happyand we will both wait in the linewhen we eventually get to the front there at the door to communist hell is a little old man who looks a bit like Karl Marxwe will claim to still be in the free world and ask Karl what it is like in there before making any decision Marx will impatiently tell usIn communist hell they flay you alive then they boil you in oil and then they cut you up into small pieces with sharp knives
After all these years Fred you will say Butbutbutbut but thats the same as capitalist hell! Why such a long queue?Marx reply Sometimes were out of oil sometimes we dont have knives sometimes no hot water

Fred - Re your post 8483. I can only talk about the Police Service. In my opinion the demise came about in the early seventies when the police became more mobile out of necessity and costs, govt. cutbacks and ultimately destroyed basic policing. In my day it just wasn't all about a.) the detection of crime but a combination of the prevention of crime and the keeping of the Queens Peace and a.).
The demise of the bobby on the beat, who knew intimately not only the villains on his beat but also the shopkeepers etc. The cost of restoring the Police Service back to those days in my opinion is the only solution to prevent what is rapidly becoming anarchy in this country. A typical night parade in 1970 was 17 beat officers 3 panda drivers and 1 van driver. I would imagine that today they can only dream about those numbers to cover one shift let alone 3.

Chris,

I think we sing from the same hymn sheet as they say.

Tabasco,

Excellent post, lightening the mood somewhat.

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GreekI did want to put a Government together a few years agoand there was a lot of interested people on the threadstrouble was their motive was to shag Edwina Curry and her Daughter.no class!!!!. so I had to give the idea up?

Edwina Curry! Heard of a Madras, bhindi, brinjal, jalfrezi and many more but not an Edwina. Is it hot and spicy, and does it contain eggs.

mnamreh - I'm talking about the uniform section from a bygone era in Liverpool, a sub station called then Westminster Road (Don't know if it remains today but ten years ago had been converted into a wine bar called 'Cops And Robbers' Ironic don't you think?) As far as the West Midlands Crime Squad are concerned 'Shit appears to happen at some stage in every occupation, profession in life wouldn't you agree?

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GreekI think Edwina is past the eggs stagemore the hot flushes era Kylie Minogue would make a good chief whipour attendance would be tremendous

Tabbie - as its Friday - Kylie!

Skinnyyou are straight in.Minister for fun.

Too right skinny , this threads got far too serious ..

Jimmy... you can be Minister of home affairsor Hotel onesas you like?

Tabby,

Hell, I have never believed in Heaven or Hell.

Now I know why.

Tabasco ,can't take the job as i'm living abroad at the moment ,just got totally fed up with the UK.