The return of Jonathan Aitken

I've just seen the news that Jonathan Aitken is to head a study into prison reform. I suppose he's well experienced in the field to put it mildly. BBC News: Aitken returns to front line)

Now we'll see if all those who assert that people who've been to jail can be redeemed will give him the same second chance they will give others. The reaction of the left-wing press will be very interesting to see...

Bravo Sarkozy!

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has refused to pardon prisoners on Bastille Day. (BBC News: Sarkozy says 'No' to mass pardons) He has instead decided that the French President's powers to pardon criminals should be used in exceptional circumstances and not as a means of keeping the prison population down.

Too often the opposite attitude prevails in this country, resulting in criminals being given lenient sentences and even non-custodial sentences, exposing the system to ridicule. If prisons have to be overcrowded until more have been built, or if cell space has to be reduced to increase capacity, then those are the only sensible options. Rationing prison places does nothing to deter crime or reassure society.