Liberty campaigners are already complaining about Government plans to keep convicted terrorists in prison for longer, citing ‘human rights’.
Since when did the terrorists consider the human rights of those they kill? I say once convicted, life in prison means exactly that.
Peter Rickaby,
West Park, Selby
Just locking people up doesn’t work
Your correspondent Mick Horsman (Terrorists should serve their full sentences, Letters, February 5) writes that do gooders will hug terrorists etc and you wouldn’t like it if it were you etc etc. The key error in this line of reasoning is that telling criminals just to do their time and leaving them to it leads inexorably to recidivism.
An enlightened criminal justice system includes the punitive but also a focus on rehabilitation and education. Prison as a warehouse works only to further radicalise, and is an opportunity for young and vulnerable offenders to slip deeper into a life of crime.
The best for this country is to make criminals into not-criminals and prison alone never accomplishes that, no matter what percentage of a sentence is served inside. Doubtless Mr Horsman would be all for rehabilitation and flexible/reduced sentences if it were his etc etc.
Dr Jack Shepherd,
Fishergate, York
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