If John Reid wants magistrates to use electronic tagging as an effective alternative to prison, I suggest tags are used that cannot be removed.
At the moment it is all too easy to slip the net and commit further crimes and the Home Office has not even kept vital records on this. This is a flawed system that has not proved itself.
Magistrates must despair at this kind of interference, being told to take the easy way out. Only serious suspects would be considered for jail. Let’s keep them there, let’s build more prisons.
Hi Ellee you mind find The Magistrates blog interesting http://thelawwestofealingbroadway.blogspot.com/
Pleased the watermarking of the pictures worked.
I like your new look blog.
I agree with your article. What is so hard about building more prisons? Is it an ideological issue with Labour? They seem ready to consider every other option, but that.
I cannot think of any member of the public who would object to more prisons being built. Except maybe some LibDems, but that says everything.
Every day we read of crimes being committed by people who should have been locked up, but who, for one reason or another (often to do with the criminal justice system), are still roaming the streets.
If even a so-called ‘hardman’ like John Reid is shying away from the prison option, I despair of the crime rates ever falling while this Government is in power.
Bel, thanks for the compliment re my new site. You don’t need to be a “hard man” to be an effective Home Secretary, just apply common sense and keep an open mind to observe what is happening in the country and the impact on citizens.
I firmly believe the Home Office is too big a dept and that immigration should be separated from the police/prison side. The remit is far too big and how can a Secretary of State keep his finger on the pulse.
Geoff, belated thanks for the magistrates link, I will check it out.
Building prisons costs money. People in Britain are already being taxed to death as it is. End the war on drugs and that would free up more space for violent criminals.
[…] Alternative sentencing has been tried and failed, like electronic tags which are easily removed, I hope this is not to be used as a preferred option, what effective alternatives does John Reid and his law chiefs have in mind? […]