Is prison life too soft?
Prisons have become so comfortable that some offenders prefer to stay on the inside rather than face life outside, a prisons officers’ leader said yesterday.
Inmates themselves have admitted conditions are like those at holiday camps, with satellite television and video game consoles on offer as well as free bed and board. Prisoners also receive wages and cash bonuses for good behaviour, while drugs are cheaper in jails than they are on the streets.
Nick Herbert, the Shadow Justice secretary, said: “It is time for a fundamental shake-up of our failing prisons system.” What do you think?
Are British prisons too soft? What would our prisons be like if you were in charge? Should prisoners be denied television and other amenities or is the isolation from family and lack of personal freedom punishment enough?
Should prisoners who behave well earn rewards? Where should we draw the line between punishment and rehabilitation?
Telegraph.co.uk – Debate / Comments
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/yourview/1905125/Is-prison-life-too-soft.html
HMP Stocken – look inside
BBC Leicester’s Victoria Hicks has been behind the scenes of Stocken Prison in Rutland. She spent days filming for a series on BBC East Midlands Today. Victoria shares her experiences with you…
What was it like filming inside HMP Stocken?
I found it quite difficult because I never knew what I was going to get. I also had to abide by prison routines and rules i.e. no filming whilst the corridors were full of prisoners in case it sparked a reaction.
No filming of locks and keys for security reasons. No filming of any prisoner unless they had been checked and deemed suitable to appear on television.
I filmed most of it myself. I must have walked miles with my tripod and camera around the prison corridors but it paid off. I gained a fascinating insight into what it’s like to live and work in a prison.
* Watch: A Prisoner’s Story
* Watch: Work Inside Stocken Prison
* Watch: Preparing For Life Outside
* Watch: Prison Fight Against Drugs