Crime and punishment

I don’t believe in the death penalty. I don’t think it works. The argument generally goes that it is the ultimate deterrent. It stops people carrying out murder. It keeps us all safer.
Bullshit.
The death penalty is merely a revenge mechanism for society. The debate only gets wheeled out during high profile, media friendly, particularly horrendous cases. We collectively recoil in disgust and wonder if these terrible things could have been prevented if their perpetrators knew they would lose their lives as result.
I don’t think it would make the slightest bit of difference. If someone is willing to gamble spending the rest of their lives in prison to commit a crime what makes us think that the thought of a clean, quick, efficient death is going to stop them either.
It doesn’t stop them in America which has the death sentence in many of its states. Americans tend to be quite fond of killing each other and vigorously defend their right to have the means to do so.
Capital punishment in America tends to be messy, confusing, very unfair and very long winded. People can be on death row for decades as their lawyers fight to commute their sentences.
If we had the same here no one would ever be put to death. The condemned would have to be given every opportunity to prove their innocence or any mitigating circumstances because if a society has the right to impose the ultimate sanction it also has to give its citizens every opportunity to clear their names.
Once you’re dead you’re dead.
A posthumous apology is lovely but in fairness it isn’t going to do you much good once you’re gone. Your name may be free from blemish but you’re still dead.
A lot of people however still believe state sanctioned murder is a good thing and would class me a bleeding heart liberal. I am in no way, shape or form a liberal. I am very far from it.
I totally and whole heartily believe that society shouldn’t have the right to kill its citizens I don’t however challenge society’s right to lock them up. I have no problem with the nastier elements around us spending considerable percentages of their lives behind bars.
You commit a crime you forfeit your freedom, simple. We are told all our prisons are full. The answer is painfully obvious. Build more prisons. Not nearly enough people get locked up nowadays. I’m all for locking them up on a first or second offence.
At any age.
If someone’s a little cunt at the age of ten or eleven why wait until they’re eighteen with a considerable career of crime behind them before you incarcerate them. It makes no sense. Surly a year inside, coupled with an intense, vigorously enforced education programme would be a better option in the long run.
If a child is out perpetrating at a very young age it stands to reason that your best course of action is to get the little shit as far away from their parents as possible. It’s very, very likely their home life contributed, maybe even influenced their choices.
Take them away. Put them in a borstal and make them do their homework. Make them pass an exam before they get out. You never know. It may save a few.
I would introduce lots of new laws.
Firstly I would ban all tattoos for anyone over twenty one. No-one beyond that age can have a legitimate reason for getting ink. Grow up. Rather than getting that tat of your child’s name permanently drawn on to your arm, why not take the money that you’d have spent and open them a bank account?
Tattoos are a folly of youth. I reminder of a time when you didn’t know any better. Nothing, I repeat nothing gains anymore significance just because you had it painted on to you badly.
Any singing when drunk in any public place should be punishable by a hefty fine. You couldn’t sing when you were sober, you still can’t sing now you’re drunk. Just because you’ve imbued a little alcohol you haven’t become any cooler, any more interesting or the slightest bit funnier.
This fine should be a months wages so it doesn’t unfairly punish the lower paid and all the more satisfying when, say, a premiership footballer acts up.
I’m in favour of twenty four hours imprisonment for anyone who asks a complete stranger for a cigarette. How can any real person have the gall to walk up to someone they’ve never met, never spoken to and ask for a fag. Why would I want to give you a fag? I don’t know you; I certainly don’t want to know you, what kind of perverse altruism is going to possess me to give you a cigarette.
Buy your own fucking fags! When you get out tomorrow.
I’d lock up people for a myriad of misdemeanours. I could go on all night. Shouting in public, swearing in-front of old people, wearing a trilby if you’re under the age of fifty. They would all spend some time locked away to give them the space and opportunity for a little self-reflection, a little personal re-evaluation and in the long run all our lives would be better for it.