to wonder how someone serving 13 life sentences gets day release?!!!

[PeachandRaspberry]

Am I the only one baffled by this?

Nope, I had exactly the same question.

No you're not , it's bloody ridiculous

I know what you mean, although the intricacies of offering some kind of incentive for good behaviour can sometimes come across as undue leniency so I was wary of making too much of a snap decision.

It does make you wonder how these things happen though - I would have imagined that there would have been tighter restrictions than have apparently been employed, although again, I am sure that there is plenty which hasn't made the headlines which might make it more understandable.

Nope, it's bloody unbelievable

I just read about that and commented to dh how ridiculous it is. Sometimes I feel our justice system is a joke.

I know what you mean, although the intricacies of offering some kind of incentive for good behaviour can sometimes come across as undue leniency so I was wary of making too much of a snap decision.

Yes, I am always wary of coming over Daily-Mail-y, but it's really hard to believe. 'The Skull Cracker' ffs, in an open prison, on day release?

over 600 prisoners serving life sentences are in open prisons.

the problem is that there are so many prisoners that they can't be housed in high security buildings - so build some new prisons. Unacceptable to endanger the public in this way.

I also wonder about this logic. It's an absolute joke.

Mind you our whole prison and justice system is a huge boobie prize if you ask me

Especially someone who committed their previous crimes whilst on remand! YANBU

over 600 prisoners serving life sentences are in open prisons. the problem is that there are so many prisoners that they can't be housed in high security buildings - so build some new prisons

A scheme for building new prisons could be a great thing. The government could offer apprenticeships in architecture, design, building, carpentry, joinery, painting, electricity and plumbing. I suppose that's too sensible expensive...

Maybe they could recruit some of the prisoners to actually build it too.

How do you give an incentive to someone who will never get out o prison? Someone who is potentially violent and an issue for you WRT behaviour. High security, lock-down, 23 hour bang up is expensive.

I've met a few lifers out on license and you would never consider them a danger. This man, yes. But hindsight is wonderful.

8How do you give an incentive to someone who will never get out o prison?*
Classes, books, internet access, other activities?

Someone who is potentially violent and an issue for you WRT behaviour.
so inflict him on the general public? If trained prison staff can't support him properly, what hope does anyone else have?

High security, lock-down, 23 hour bang up is expensive.

So? 13 life sentences- I don't want to look up what this man has done but it's obviously horrendous. What price do you put on keeping the rest of the public safe?

I'm not saying this was a good decision, just that the answer seems obvious to us, after the event, when managing offenders is much more difficult than that.

If someone has been indie for 10 years, I imagine they have earned all the classes and books they are going to.

What price do you put on keeping the rest of the public safe?. That is a spurious argument. We don't have the money to do everything that seems priceless to everyone. Where is the money to come from?

Again, I'm not saying this was a good decision, just that it is really easy, with hindsight to say, this man shouldn't have been given this. LOTS of lifers are out on license, LOTS. Added to those on day release and so on... There are some whose stories would curl your hair. Most living quiet lives, no issue to anyone.

Not indie, inside...

A quick look says he was an armed robber who liked to pistol whip hostages. Particularly women and in one case a 73 year old.

From what I heard on the BBC I was shocked too, especially as it wasn't as though he'd been in 20+ years.
Of course it will probably make things far more draconian for other prisoners as the Home Secretary will probably over react.

"it will probably make things far more draconian for other prisoners"

Am I the only one thinking 'good' ?

What I dont get is if the minimum he had to serve to get parole was 8 years, why bother sentencing him to 13 life sentences. I could see why if they were to run consecutively so effectively he will die in prison, but if not, why hand down such a stupid sentence?

But what I can see is: the petty thief who has never cause physical harm to anyone will be locked up - where as a brutal thug gets nice days out.

You'd be surprised. I recently volunteered at a place where there were about 10 men from a local open prison working there too, and the lifers were allowed home visits of up to 5 days, whereas those on less than 10 year (as far as I remember) sentences "only" got day release home.

It really shocked me, the day release to do part time work I thought was fair enough, skills and normal routine stuff, but visits home?!