Paedo gets off because jails are full!

[Daggers]

From the BBC:

A man who downloaded child pornography to his computer has avoided jail after the home secretary asked judges to limit prison terms due to overcrowding.

Judge John Rogers QC gave Derek Williams, 46, a suspended sentence, saying he had to consider "the current sentencing climate".

The judge told Mold Crown Court: "As of yesterday, I have to bear in mind a communication from the home secretary."

I'm kind of pissed off that Labour have cocked-up the prison system to the extent that now scum like this are allowed free. Simply unbelievable.

Surely someone like this has to be incarcerated?

[Webbo]

sounds like the judge had an axe to grind. still, not right though.

[davieG]

From the BBC:

I'm kind of pissed off that Labour have cocked-up the prison system to the extent that now scum like this are allowed free. Simply unbelievable.

Surely someone like this has to be incarcerated?

Doesn't seem to make much difference, he'd have probably ended up in an open prison and walked and followed this guys example.

Link

A paedophile who fled a Derby bail hostel has been arrested in Cambodia on suspicion of child sex offences. Ian Bower, 42, of Bramcote, Nottingham, was jailed for three and a half years at Derby Crown Court in 2004 for gross indecency with a male under 16.

The former special constable fled Burdett Lodge bail hostel, where he was on licence, in February 2006.

Derbyshire Police said they would look to re-arrest Bower for a breach of licence if he returned to England.

'Stringent' licence

Bower had been working in South East Asia as an English teacher.

Derbyshire probation service revealed Bower had been released in January 2006 under stringent licence conditions.

But he was at the bail hostel for less than two months when he absconded. He was immediately recalled to prison but fled abroad.

A Derbyshire probation service spokeswoman confirmed they were aware of the arrest in Cambodia.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We are aware that a British national was arrested in Phnom Penh on January 22."

[Daggers]

I've certainly changed my position on these matters since it was debated during the summer. I'm far less understanding now...but then, how can people be jailed if there is no damn room?

[JoeyB]

disgusting

theres far too many people in jail for stupid crimes like:

not paying a parking ticket

or not paying council tax

send the balifs in for them

and keep the jails open for people like him

[davieG]

I've certainly changed my position on these matters since it was debated during the summer. I'm far less understanding now...but then, how can people be jailed if there is no damn room?

The goverment could give clearer guidelines with crimes such as like fraud, tax evasion, benefit cheating etc and non public threatening, in a physical sense be considered for non-custodial punishments.

As you say this person seems to be one step away from the top 4/5 most heinous (sp) crimes you can commit.

[James.]

From the BBC:

I'm kind of pissed off that Labour have cocked-up the prison system to the extent that now scum like this are allowed free. Simply unbelievable.

Surely someone like this has to be incarcerated?

Observation, counselling, guidance and help are probably what this guy requires. Would prison really be the road to rehabilitation? Would he come out a new man with a healthy and normal sexual appetite or will he come out slightly more twisted after spending his days with fellow "paedos" and murderers?

You either build more prisons (where does the money come from?) or look at alternative ways of dealing with criminals. It would appear that Labour has indeed failed on both counts but deciding which is the best option is the key question.

[davieG]

Observation, counselling, guidance and help are probably what this guy requires. Would prison really be the road to rehabilitation? Would he come out a new man with a healthy and normal sexual appetite or will he come out slightly more twisted after spending his days with fellow "paedos" and murderers?

You either build more prisons (where does the money come from?) or look at alternative ways of dealing with criminals. It would appear that Labour has indeed failed on both counts but deciding which is the best option is the key question.

Observation, counselling, guidance and help can be made available in prison until he's deemed safe, although I'm not sure that this sort of crime is curable, is there any evidence of that?

[Lord Nibblington]

21st Century Britain, Ladies and Gentlemen!

Magical, isn't it?

[James.]

Observation, counselling, guidance and help can be made available in prison until he's deemed safe, although I'm not sure that this sort of crime is curable, is there any evidence of that?

To be honest I have no idea. Maybe there's no evidence because we aren't dealing with this problem in the right way currently.

But if there is no "cure" surely the only thing prison will do is make them worse.

What I'm saying is that while lesser crimes should probably carry non-prison punishments (to free up space) I'm not sure if that space is the right place for someone like this.

[Webbo]

To be honest I have no idea. Maybe there's no evidence because we aren't dealing with this problem in the right way currently.

But if there is no "cure" surely the only thing prison will do is make them worse.

What I'm saying is that while lesser crimes should probably carry non-prison punishments (to free up space) I'm not sure if that space is the right place for someone like this.

prison probably won't cure these people, i doubt if this sort of thing is curable, but what else can you do? would you want these people living next door to you?

[davieG]

To be honest I have no idea. Maybe there's no evidence because we aren't dealing with this problem in the right way currently.

But if there is no "cure" surely the only thing prison will do is make them worse.

What I'm saying is that while lesser crimes should probably carry non-prison punishments (to free up space) I'm not sure if that space is the right place for someone like this.

Well I view it as which is the greater risk to the public, I put this up there at the top with any type of physical violence because that's the next step for these people - making it a high risk to the public.

[James.]

prison probably won't cure these people, i doubt if this sort of thing is curable, but what else can you do? would you want these people living next door to you?

I would want to know if they were.

In any case do you have them living next door to you now or in 3 years time after being "rehabilitated" in one of our nice, friendly prisons.

[Daggers]

The simple fact is that people who download images are, in their own way, promoting the abuse of children - whether they are raping kids or not.

The weird thing this week was the news that "Hollywood" has made a film where a 12 year old girl is depicted as being raped. As much as I would like to distance myself from the religious right in the States, the comment from one protester was that 'if I made a film like this on my camcorder I would be locked up'.

The actual sentence for the guy is pretty irrelevant - the simple matter is that last week he would have received a custodial sentence of up to two years confinement. The day after Judges receive a letter from the Home Sec, he gets off. The issue isn't really child porn...it is the shocking situation that people that "we" believe should serve periods of incarceration in accordance with the law are now going to be allowed to go free...and those serving sentences are going to be allowed to go free early...because we no longer have space for anyone.

I find this a damning indictment of a government that has failed to handle the issue in all the time it has been in power. Fair enough, the Tories were crap too...but surely this could have been foreseen (apart from Blunkett) and acted upon?

[Head Honcho]

A friend of mine is currently banged up with a bunch of paedo's for..............

...........speeding

[lookwhaticando]

A friend of mine is currently banged up with a bunch of paedo's for..............

...........speeding

And therein lies the problem.

Tough on crime - sure.

Tough on the wrong sort of crime? I'd say so.

Paedos, murderers, rapists, all shades of nasty villain types should be banged up. If you don't have room for them, you're in serious trouble.

[Head Honcho]

And therein lies the problem.

Tough on crime - sure.

Tough on the wrong sort of crime? I'd say so.

Paedos, murderers, rapists, all shades of nasty villain types should be banged up. If you don't have room for them, you're in serious trouble.

It's simple really.

First they need to re-open some of the Millitary establishments that have been closed, then they need to audit all the prisons and send all minor offenders to them.

This judge obviously has a hidden agenda though and needs a good kick up the arse.

[Daggers]

A friend of mine is currently banged up with a bunch of paedo's for..............

...........speeding

<irony>

It's a Class A - so what did he expect?

</irony>

[Lemon Harpic]

<irony>

It's a Class A - so what did he expect?

</irony>

Speed is a Class B drug.

Unlike Allen's friend, the bloke who downloaded kiddy porn onto his computer was not putting anyone's life in danger.

Most paedophiles were themselves abused as children. I'm not sure a custodial sentence was the right option anyway. Some sort of therapy or psychiatric care would be far more appropriate. Leave the jails for the more dangerous class of nonces and the incurable sociopaths who don't care if they kill or injure someone as long as they can get home five minutes quicker.

[cisono]

From the BBC:

I'm kind of pissed off that Labour have cocked-up the prison system to the extent that now scum like this are allowed free. Simply unbelievable.

Surely someone like this has to be incarcerated?

Could they not have freed an actual "minor offender" to make room for him instead

[Dr The Singh]

Speed is a Class B drug.

Unlike Allen's friend, the bloke who downloaded kiddy porn onto his computer was not putting anyone's life in danger.

Most paedophiles were themselves abused as children. I'm not sure a custodial sentence was the right option anyway. Some sort of therapy or psychiatric care would be far more appropriate. Leave the jails for the more dangerous class of nonces and the incurable sociopaths who don't care if they kill or injure someone as long as they can get home five minutes quicker.

I'm afriad the success rates are near zero!!

[Geo V]

disgusting

theres far too many people in jail for stupid crimes like:

not paying a parking ticket

or not paying council tax

send the balifs in for them

and keep the jails open for people like him

Couldnt agree more. I dont vindicate or advocate stealing but a mate of mine who had financial troubles for months hit a low and stole £600 from the till at a big retail company out of desperation. It was his first offence. The company wanted to make an example of him which was fair enough and he got arrested, had the CID turn his flat upside down and was arrested. He was ushered to court the next morning and imprisoned for 4 weeks. He obviously also had to pay back the money and costs also. I`m sure that it would have been better to fine him and give him community service or something, as should people who go inside for petty crimes like failing to pay parking tickets.

There isnt a solitary person I know who doesnt know of an area that either needs cleaning up, painting or major facelits done to it. Why dont these people get a load of community service?

[Manwell Pablo]

Speed is a Class B drug.

Unlike Allen's friend, the bloke who downloaded kiddy porn onto his computer was not putting anyone's life in danger.

Most paedophiles were themselves abused as children. I'm not sure a custodial sentence was the right option anyway. Some sort of therapy or psychiatric care would be far more appropriate. Leave the jails for the more dangerous class of nonces and the incurable sociopaths who don't care if they kill or injure someone as long as they can get home five minutes quicker.

[Leonisco]

Unlike Allen's friend, the bloke who downloaded kiddy porn onto his computer was not putting anyone's life in danger.

Yes he was. Child pornography certainly endangers the lives of the children who are in it. Many of them commit suicide because they are so traumatized by what has been done to them.

OK, so the guy wasn't actually making it or anything, but simply by downloading it he is encouraging the people who do make it to continue to do so, and therefore endanger the lives of yet more children.

[vanfox12]

By the way if the jails are full what about the bastard in the Mercury who threw a 78 year old man against a wall causing such serious injuries he later died. Instead of more prisons bring back the death penalty for the real scum of the Earth. Have you also noticed how finanancial crimes are deemed more serious than murder. Kill somebody you get a slap on the wrist. Defraud the government and you get 10 years.