"We are doing something," replied the
Minister.
"What exactly are you
doing?" was the response to that.
The heated argument became
more intense in this private meeting with the agrieved parents of a murdered
child.
"You have to
understand..."
"I do understand. You are not doing anything,
though you try to justify inaction with words. You say our prisons are full up.
So what? Build more prisons."
"It's not as simple as
that."
"How can it be difficult
to understand that if there are not enough prisons then the small number that
there are will obviously be inadequate. Justify not sending people to prison
because there aren't enough prisons."
"No, that's not
right."
"But that is what you are
doing now. You've said nothing. Typical political non-answers. Attempts at
appeasement."
"Stop right there, you
are starting to become offensive."
"Really? And it's OK to let
out killers to kill again? You are offensive by assuming people don't care or
have forgotten. You insult people every day by releasing dangerous people early
back into society. The courts give out a prison sentence and this is instantly
disregarded. You all know that this sentence will almost never be spent in
prison in its totallity."
"Criminals need some hope
to exist..."
"Do you think I care if a
killer is having a bad time? We are having a bad time. My wife and I are having
a very bad time. Coming to terms with the death of our beautiful daughter.
Murdered by a killer released back into society after only 5 years of a 9 year
sentence. The sentence was totally inadequate in the first place. Recently, a
man was released after 25 years of an indefinite sentence for attempted murder.
Attempted. The tariff should have been around 10 years, but he was released
only after the Court of Appeal ruled that a micarriage of justice had taken
place. This was only because of an investigation by the Criminal Cases Review
Commission. He'd have got less if he'd admitted the crime. He refused as he
hadn't committed it and it transpires that the police 'fitted' him up. They've
since retired and are allowed to get off with nothing. For what they did?
Perjury. Perverting the course of justice. Being responsible for locking up an
innocent man for 25 years. Nothing? I can't find words to express my disgust,
but I do hope the guy gets £50m compensation. And add to that those guilty
officers' collective pensions. I am not joking. They must not be allowed to
enjoy the rest of their life."
"Long term imprisonment
is hard and these offenders need hope."
"Prison is hard? That's
the whole idea so that we take care not to do things that might mean being sent
there. It was obviously not hard enough for the bastard that murdered our
daughter. You've created a situation that needs to be resolved. Real action.
And it seems it is to be my task to do your job for you. Effectively."
"What are you suggesting?
Revenge?"
"I can say anything I
like at the moment, but like you until I am seen to do something, it is just
words."
"The courts are a very
expensive method of seeming to do something. The fines that are extracted
simply go to help finance court costs. No prison or detention in most cases, so
no costs to the State. No need to build more prisons as nobody is going there.
Those already there will eventually be let out earlier and earlier, the sooner
the better so freeing up spaces. The original sentence is obviously only a
recommendation from a judge that means nothing really. It is a cosmetic
sentence to appease the public at the time. Most people forget as their
interest is only very short term. Maybe days or certainly a few weeks at
most."
"You are being
inaccurate."
"Tell me how I'm being
inaccurate and give me information - real information - I can verify. I want to
be wrong. I just think I am not wrong."
© Louis Brothnias (2005)