PRISON does work!

Prison works because it keeps out of the community those who steal, rob, mug, burgle and carry out other nefarious activities. The longer that such people are kept ‘inside’ the better it will be for the general public, its peace of mind and the security of its property. Longer sentences would seem to assist in that.

Perhaps Mr Clarke should plan to build more prisons and, instead of spending time trying to ‘rehabilitate’ people whose occupation or line of business appears to be crime, transfer most of the staff in the probation service to staff the new prisons.

The first duty of any government is to defend the public against external and internal threats.

Allowing known criminals to be ‘in the community’ to serve a sentence will enable them to continue their trade at any time when they are not under supervision.

One has to wonder why, when even one of his predecessors, Mr Howard, stated that prison did work, Mr Clarke is so against it. Perhaps he has not been burgled yet.

J C WHIFFEN, East Cliff Way, Friars Cliff, Christchurch