crime

we live in a period where the politicians want us to be scared.
they want us to be scared so that we will vote for whatever solution to the problem they are peddling.
on the global scale it is terrorism we are to be scared of. and in order to be "safe" from this we are being asked to give up civil liberties, we are being asked to believe the lies of the those that lead us and further more we have live in a world that is constantly getting more dangerous – filled with a greater potential for war on a global scale. But we are ok because the politicians are there to tell us how they can make us safe from this self fulfilling prophecy.

Meanwhile back at home we are being treated to the twin spectres of immigration (and the race to appear to be racist enough to appeal to the readers of the sun and the daily mail but not as racist as the other party) and crime. Together they are a jackpot winning hand at blackjack.

So we now have the conservative party’s law and order proposals.
The introduction of minimum and maximum sentences (you have to at least serve the minimum sentence before you can be let out).
The return of “three strikes and you are out!” whereby your third offence for burglary means a guaranteed sentence. Though there might be exceptional circumstances where this would not count.
Scrapping of early release scheme – because since labour had introduced it in 1999 3500 crimes had been committed by people on early release. (dave Wilson, a criminologist, says: “And 90% of those on the early release curfew scheme did not reoffend before the end of their sentence”).
Of course this means building more prison places and howard has pledged funding for an extra 20,000 prison places by 2010. (which will add to the 17,000 places created under labour – which currently gives the uk the biggest prison population in Europe)?
Remember this is about a specific type of criminal. There is nothing here about potential white collar crime – that in many ways hurts more people and more often. Whether it is through fraud, poor health and safety or just wilful disregard for your rights. The people who do that are fine, and they don’t need to be imprisoned. After all someone needs to pay for the tories… (and sadly new labour).

Howard says that prison sends out a strong message “that crime does not pay!” it is such a pity that the message is either being ignored or is not being understood by the target audience – or why else is there a need to increase prison places?
Simple reason is fear – create the spectre of a lawless society then promise to fill the prisons to bursting point and well you have a vote winner.
As howard says:
"Build more prisons and fewer criminals will be free to commit crime,"…. "It's common sense. its how I will cut crime."
And when crime continues – just build more….
Nacro - the national crime reduction charity - said Tories would be better spending money on more measures to prevent crime, support victims and alternatives to prison.
But that caring rehabilitating attitude does not pander to the needs of the right wing press and it does not pander to the needs of the “hang and birch them” brigade, who still seem to hold sway over much of the thinking of current politics.

For the tories it is not about trying to remove the possible causes of crime, it is not about taking criminals and attempting to make them “useful” members of society, for the tories it is about retribution plain and simple.
Or to cite Juliet Lyon, the director of the Prison Reform Trust. She criticised Mr Howard for believing "that prison works" when three out of five people walked out of jail and returned to crime.

New labours response: prison is for the most dangerous and the persistent offenders. Oh and the tories have said where the money is going to come for this prison expansion. I can guess it will be something like a pfi with a private (no doubt American) company running the place and when it all goes horribly wrong the state will have to step in and pick up the pieces.

But we can all feel safe because not only does howard talk tough he acts tough – as he also joined Cleveland police on a dawn raid to bring down some drug dealers. (tsk tsk for thinking that this was a publicity stunt to help bring attention to his speech, and yes that stab proof vest did make him look almost as silly as bush in the flight suit). Three suspected dealers were arrested in two raids and a quantity of cannabis seized.
"It has been a very good example of pro-active policing of the kind I want to encourage" howard said.
I suppose we should be thankful he stopped short at encouraging us all to have a go!

Crime, like immigration, is a serious issue for many people. If we have not been the victim of a crime we probably know someone who has been. But if you believe the comments of howard, the sun and the daily mail just the simple act of stepping outside your door is to invite being robbed and mugged. They hark back to some bygone golden age when we lived crime free leaving our doors open safe in the knowledge out worldly possessions were safe and that we could walk anywhere without fear. If there was ever a time when this was true then that sense of belonged to a community and being safe in that community was mugged by the many years of tory rule under thatcher, major and howard and his ilk.
Why should we trust him now?