I THINK people are missing the point with regard to the clowns and jugglers that are appearing daily at a prison near you ("Send in the clowns", February 25).

Admission to these shows are at Her Majesty's Pleasure so they shouldn't be scoffed at; has it ever occurred to anyone the ulterior motive behind these shows?

For example, the skills needed to juggle a DVD player, TV set, CD player and computer while trying to escape from someone's house in the middle of the night must take some practising, so an expert teaching them would certainly benefit their rehabilitation.

Secondly, the skill of looking upset and remorseful in front of a judge while laughing quietly to yourself is an art form in itself; who better to learn off than a clown? Why not go the whole hog and get a tightrope walker who can teach them to get from building to building or a Harry Houdini type who can teach them lock-picking skills?

PR Willey,

Burnholme Drive,

Heworth, York.

...ARE young offenders being taught how to juggle so they can entertain their next victims while their companions rob them? Then as an encore disappear with their goods.

I suggest when caught, put them in a padded cell alone, with just their thoughts of what the outside world would be like if and when the culprit gets released. After all, young and old, "if you commit a crime you should do the time".

P J Markwick,

Forge Close,

Jockey Lane, York.

Updated: 11:53 Wednesday, March 03, 2004