An epiphany

I’ve had one. Well, I think so. Ok, it might just be a really good idea. Well, I’ll let you be the judge.

Put criminals in prison. Do it more often, do it for longer. Provide a real deterrent to crime and a real punishment to those who commit crime. Keep the streets safer for longer even if the real die-hard crooks are determined to re-offend on their release.

It’s briliant. I love it.

OK, it’s no epiphany. It’s barely a great idea. In fact, the Criminal Justice System have gotten there before me:

“The purpose of the Criminal Justice System (CJS) is to deliver justice for all, by convicting and punishing the guilty and helping them to stop offending, while protecting the innocent. It is responsible for detecting crime and bringing it to justice; and carrying out the orders of court, such as collecting fines, and supervising community and custodial punishment. “

Bugger.

Alright so theirs is a bit more wishy washy and flowery and if I may say so, I think my version is more uplifting and inspiring but I can live with it. Why it isn’t happening?  I reckon all the staid and wrinkly magistrates are desperate to show some hardline sentencing but Mr Reid says there’s no room at the inn. Not enough prison space. Not enough money to build new ones. Not enough money to fund expensive prison sentences for inmates.

Then I had an epiphany. A real one. And it involves the French, so it, er, must be good.

As I understand it the French have a three-strikes-and-you’re-out attitude to free legal representation for arrested people. The logic runs that the most unlucky average Joe Public isn’t going to get locked up three times in their lifetime but if they do, we’ll the French will look after their legal needs. The fourth time in and well, lets face it, you must be a crook and you’re not going to be allowed to take the piss anymore (out of the French I mean, us Brits are ok with it)

What a money saver! What a great way to stick it to the persistant crooks. I love it. Vive le France.

Open the prisons! Build me some new ones, I have the answer! Magistrates, lift up your snoozing bespectacled faces, put your crochet to one side and send me some tenants!

In my new regime I’m going to restrict Sky TV in prisons to the basic package too. It’s all in my recent proposal paper in the post to Mr Reid…