It would also not distinguish between prisoners and staff/visitors. For example, I imagine that quite a few visitors would need to order a taxi - how would they be able to do that if mobiles are blocked?
I'd happily pay a lot more tax for a better health service, armed forces and criminal justice system. Providing it was ringfenced and spent wisely. Which it wouldn't be. So let's just carry on ignoring this epidemic like the politicians!Landline (free if necessary) in the visitor's area?
A proportion of the public and news media consider it morally wrong to spend taxpayers' money on anything to do with prison, no matter what it is. Any politician who dares say otherwise will be wrung out to dry by elements in the Mail, Sun, Sport etc. However, the idea of 'throw away the key' works only if you never let anyone out again (unless they pass 'tests' of some sort). Meanwhile our prisons are little more than universities of crime, islamic fundamentalism, etc. Bonkers. If folk want prisons run on a low cost basis, no rehabilitation, no restriction on recruitment to death cults, little or no restriction on the flow of drugs, then folk need to face up to the fact that a great deal of what will be released at the end of the sentence will be human wreckage; it would make better sense, would it not, to execute most prisoners rather than lock them up for a bit and then let them loose? Or spend the necessary money. You decide.....
The biggest hindrance to prison reform is the Secretary of State for Justice, Liz Truss
If there has ever been a more ineffective, lightweight Minister completely out of their depth and promoted to a position way above their level of competence then I've forgotten their name.
Strong leadership, a vision and the sheer will to see it through is what is required. Sadly, I wouldn't have faith in Liz Truss to run a bath - never mind get to grips with a failing justice system and a prison estate that is falling apart at the seams.
All well and good if you can afford it although let's be honest the government's spending is mostly down to mismanagement you'd think.I'd happily pay a lot more tax for a better health service, armed forces and criminal justice system. Providing it was ringfenced and spent wisely. Which it wouldn't be. So let's just carry on ignoring this epidemic like the politicians!
precisely. Which is why I'm only happy in theory because they would and do loss it up the wall as you say.All well and good if you can afford it although let's be honest the government's spending is mostly down to mismanagement you'd think.
Booming economy and not a pot to piss in year after year....where's all the money?
Whatever you think of her, there is zero chance of anything effective being done, due to the huge cutbacks that the entire public sector has faced in recent years. I watched some Chief Constable blithering away on Crimewatch just now about why prosecutions for mobile phone use at the wheel have gone down. He fudged around talking about other outcomes and such like, when the reality is a major cut in police officer numbers, and particularly traffic officers. Similarly, the prison service will be in no position to make any significant improvements for years to come, because they're running on empty, with minimal staffing levels and increasing prisoner numbers.
Anything the government might say in terms of resolving the sort of issues raised by BG here is just spin, unless they're going to magic some spare prison officers up from the bottom of the bag.