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[pseudomonas]

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Comments

[knirirr]

Presumably (b), as it is known that criminals get short sentences and tend to re-offend, so better to do it elsewhere so that it keeps the crime figures down.

[pseudomonas]

Well, it keeps the crime figures down here, at the expense of raising them somewhere else. It all feels like one of those systems where enormous effort is taken on moving a problem around rather than solving it, perhaps by longer sentences or better regimes within prisons, or more active follow-up for released prisoners, or whatever you think might help.

[knirirr]

at the expense of raising them somewhere else.

But somewhere else they're not voting for politicians here, so those politicians are unlikely to care.

[pseudomonas]

Quite. That's why politicians care (or don't), but what about everyone else?

[emperor]

Unless they've committed an offence which carries a life term (in which case they could be kept inside indefinitely if considered to pose a serious risk), then even the most dangerous crook is allowed out once they've done their time.

[j4]

It could be argued that it's a deterrent: "Don't commit crimes, or you forfeit your right to stay in Britain."

However (and I note your icon), the main "good" that it does is to the country's economy: and indeed, why should we pay for the upkeep of criminals when we can shunt them off elsewhere? Taking this to its logical conclusion, I think we should go back to transporting all criminals to Australia or somewhere similarly Far Away.

[pseudomonas]

We could just transport them all to France, and save a fortune on boat fares.

[lethargic_man]

Taking this to its logical conclusion, I think we should go back to transporting all criminals to Australia or somewhere similarly Far Away.

Internal exile! Get some use out of the Flannan Isles! ;^b

[thalassius]

Is it not reasonable that if someone goes to another country and commits serious crimes, the government of that country has the right to deport them once they've served their sentence? (there *may* be reasons not to, but they would be specific to individual circs, and 'the other country is not as nice a place' shouldn't qualify. The 'host' country is not quite as nice a place either following the crime . . .)

They're quite likely to be here because this country offers more opportunities, which is fair enough, but why should they have a right to remain once they've proved their contribution will be robbery, rape, murder etc?

(This is a different question from why they were let out in the first place)

[pseudomonas]

It's not whether the person has a right to remain - a society can deprive someone of (some of) their rights if they commit a crime, and residency seems reasonably one of them. The question is whether it's good for all the rest of humanity, rather than for the criminal.

[thalassius]

OK, I see your point.

Surely, if they're not safe to be out, this then becomes an argument about forms of correction, and whether prison sentences are too short? Yes, if they're going to be let out, we should deport them, but should they be let out in the first place?

[pseudomonas]

Whilst I'm not a lover of the idea of locking up people forever just-in-case, the argument needs to be had. What I dislike is the panicked argument that seems to run that these people are clearly too dangerous to be allowed to roam the streets of Britain, but that it's ethically acceptable to shove them off to another country.

[beckyc]

I'd be curious to know how many people would be in favour of deporting foreign nationals instead of putting them in prison. Seems to be what is expected if you are a Brit offending (accidentally or otherwise) abroad, plus it does have the merit of being cheap.