Murderer on run from open prison

[Fragony]

That is what happens when psycholoco's are allowed to sit with the judges. They have such a hard time accepting that their field of work isn't absolute, oh no we lost another one, fascinating isn't it amice?

[doc_bean]

We lose on average one criminal every three days

[Banquo's Ghost]

Whenever we get one of these 'outraged of Milton Keynes' threads about an escaped prisoner, especially from an open prison, I feel my heart sinking.

The open prison system is there to help prepare inmates for their re-introduction to society. It occasionally goes wrong - name me something that does not. We never hear about the times it goes right, and an inmate manages to start a new life without incident. (Even murderers - there is a semi-famous actor in the UK, Leslie Grantham, who was convicted of murder and has since release, managed a fairly decent life - if you don't count the crime of Eastenders).

Before getting your panties in a twist, I suggest (once again) that one decides whether convicts will ever come back out into society. If you believe that all criminals sent to prison should stay there forever (and are willing to pay the economic costs for supervising so many people without hope) then open prisons and their ilk are clearly useless and dangerous.

If however, you expect that convicts will, at some point return to society (ie possibly live near to you and your family) then it is in society's interest that they be rehabilitated for this purpose, not brutalised. At present, most western prisons are simply schools for incredible brutality and learning how to live like an animal - with specialists in drugs, new methods of crime and dehumanisation. A large number of criminals go in illiterate and innumerate, and despite the opportunity for the state to rectify this with a captive audience, they come out the same. Instead of being prepared for a useful job which they might prosper in, they have learnt better methods for criminality.

No point in bellowing simplistic slogans about 'having it too easy'. Get upset about the schools of crime that your taxes pay for, and think hard about what you want to replace it. Remember, they are coming out.

[Fragony]

Problem is that psycholoco's think too highly of their work, and in their arrogance they try reintroducing them to the population when they aren't ready. If all we get is a sorry sometimes it works when it goes wrong, maybe we need different standards.

[Hepcat]

Banquo's Ghost does have a good point though. I believe that criminals can be reintroduced into society, though they can easily pretend to be changed. About 6 weeks ago one of the most interesting things that have ever happened on my street occured. Someone was shot!

The guy who killed the other guy had just gotten out of prison after serving part of his sentance for trying to kill the SAME GUY! Now there is something VERY wrong with that in my opinion. That killer got out of jail early and the first thing he did was to go and finish off the job. Doesn't that show that something is wrong with the justice system? Especially if he hadn't served his full sentance.

[rory_20_uk]

First degree, premeditated murder. Why do they need to rejoin society?

And concerning brutalising the poor, criminals who have done nothing wrong (erm, bar the crimes obviously but that's probably society's fault) and so need a good time to make sure they adjust. How does the army manage it then? You go from a tour of Inner Hell, and next day flown home to wife plus two kids.

So I am pretty bemused / annoyed about this state of affairs where for some reason we can cheerfully ignore society as long as we make sure that the criminals don't feel stigmatised by the crimes that they committed - the poor lambs...

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Rory, we don't have degrees of murder.

"Taking the life of another with malice of forethought."

It's case law. The laws on murder are in serious need of updating. While I do take Banquo's point I don't think it should be applied to murders, rapists and kiddy-fiddlers.

Clearly there are problems with the opne Prison system and with this one in particular. They're losing two a month.