Do remember that Spain - as one example out of many - jails felons at a rate four times greater than we do but has a fraction of the prison population, so:
1) Ensure that offenders KNOW that prison is inevitable for crime; for repeat offences; for breaches of bail; breaches of all community orders and being a nuisance to the community.
They must not be allowed to accumulate 17 page long records without having ever been jailed. (I have seen many such things!)
2) Ensure that sentences are served. 'Discounts' should not exceed 25% as anything greater undermines the entire system.
3) Prisons should not be anything more than basic. TV, laptops, MP3 players etc should be outlawed.
4) Food should be nutritious but dull.
5) Relaxations should be based around reading but the gutter press, girlie mags etc must be excluded. Books should not be salacious or undermining to the system but should be plentiful.
6) Work should be 'a privilege' for all prisoners and paid up to about £8 a week maximum. Success should lead directly to 'time off' the sentence.
7) Smoking should be banned in the same way as drugs and alcohol. Drugs CAN be removed from prisons and would be by weekly testing. Failures receive additional sentences.
8) Every prisoner must embark on education programmes to improve their future employment prospects. Success in these areas must be rewarded.
9) Every released prisoner must be closely monitored and helped to avoid previous pitfalls. The Minerva Project shows the way forward.
10) Every prisoner released on licence must be returned immediately to prison if: they fail drugs tests, commit any offence whatsoever or breach any conditions. This must be inevitable and earn a lengthened sentence.
In spite of what it may seem by some to be, the intention really is to reduce dramatically, the numbers 'sent down' but this can never be done until every offender knows that there will not be cop outs by the authorities.
Probation is an alternative to custody but should rarely be used more than once. I got fed up of criminal records filled with lists of probation orders 'all successfully completed'.
Work orders (various titles) should be unmitigatedly rigorous and should be a genuine punishment. If these are 'alternatives to prison' - nobody should be under any doubt that they will be tough, demanding and in particular, utterly uncompromising where breaches are concerned. People should not be excluded from these because they are druggies etc as has been the case. If anybody needs a life structure, it is them!
Certainty of real punishments will drive offending downwards. Within three years - possibly less - our prison population would halve. Naturally this would have to be preceded by a steep increase in numbers and then the benefits would rapidly filter through.
Why do offenders offend? - Because society allows them that privilege.
Do remember one vital thing about rehabilitation too - it can only work on that percentage of criminals who want to be reformed.
It is my view that The Probation Service cannot be trusted as it is motivated primarily by being 'the offenders' friend'.
In the USA, probation officers are more likely to represent the interests of society.
Take it seriously and we really can reduce crime by 75%.
