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Ben
Lecturing
About Me
- prisonerben
- United Kingdom
- Previously known as "one of Britain's best known prisoners...he constantly questions authority and exposes the futility of the system" The Times, Ben was finally released from prison after 32 years in August 2012. Pleading guilty to the murder of a friend when he was 14 years old, he renounced violence and fought for the recognition of the inherent dignity of all human beings. As a result of speaking truth to power, he served far longer than the recommended 10 years, leading Education Secretary Michael Gove to argue that he had "been punished excessively for a crime committed as a child". One of the more intellectual of prisoner-campaigners, Ben chose to educate himself from schoolboy level to having both undergraduate and post graduate degrees. He is currently one of very few prisoners in Britain ever to attempt a Doctorate. Ben's speciality is non-violent action and the Human Needs Theory. Now on Life Licence, He is forging a career as a CJ policy consultant, writer and - as ever - campaigner.
Hihi
ReplyDeleteAs perverse incentives go you don't get much more perverse than that, you wouldn't have a single person not under a sentence in the country.
Loving your wry sense of humour Ben :D
ReplyDeleteLOL....Would that be per year?
ReplyDeletewell i think it goes without saying that if they pumped that level of cash into youngsters, ie youth centres,outdoor activities, counselling, one to one support, weekends away then maybe they woyuldn't have to spend it when they get in prison. Maybe they would not even get to prison if given the finanical support when they need it, show then there is so much in the world to see/do.
ReplyDeleteVictor Hugo said something like: 'Open schools and close prisons.'
ReplyDeleteWell said Bex! I heard on the news last night that Norfolk County Council are slashing their youth work budget, and services to the most vulnerable young people will be cut. This will happen throughout the country, and then people will be surprised that youth offending has increased. When will we start valuing preventative measures rather than paying for punishment when it is all too late?
ReplyDeletePaying criminals not to offend, doesn't work. They give MPs £65k per year, it didn't stop them.
ReplyDeleteMy solution would be to build prison colonies. Each colony self-sustained as far as practicable; and a colony type for different category crimes.
Prison should be a demarcation from society, and not a punishment within it. We don't punish Polar bears for being deadly, we separate ourselves from them.
Sound logical JimmyGiro but for the fact that we are not animals.
ReplyDelete@Bex The sooner the state removes itself from the role of "Provider" for families the better. Have you ever considered that these groups that you think are capable of turning things around are the cause not the solution to society's problems?
ReplyDelete£45k is just the cost of the cell space, if all other costs are taken into account, police, probation, psychologists, court costs and legal costs, etc, it is a staggering £200k!
ReplyDeleteWord "Comic"
"tragic-comic"
ReplyDelete