To believe that prisoners serving life sentences shouldn’t have access to luxuries like TV or gym equipment?

[NimbleRoseMoose]

Why should taxpayers fund entertainment for people who’ve committed heinous crimes?

@Americano75 the original post is about lifers. I truly can’t imagine a situation in which I would do something so awful I’d get life in prison, so I don’t really think “there but for the grace of God go I” in this context.

Yes to this.

A lot of them are barely literate. Have had terrible, wasted lives. I really don't see what the point is of not letting them watch TV. Do you just want to make their life as miserable as possible? Why?

Depends on your view; life sentences include

Stabbing your abusive ex husband
Killing your abusive parent
Causing death by dangerous driving as a young teenager

People do awful things. But their circumstances differ wildly

@bombastix do many of the criminals in those cases get life?

Yes they do. If you murder someone it is a mandatory life sentence

And in the case of manslaughter, let's say the abused wife or child gets convicted of that, then they can get life. Does it happen? Yes it does.

Rarely though. Most manslaughter sentences are more like 10.years so you might get out after 5.

Manslaughter can be up to a life sentence

I am thinking of Sally Challen. She would have fallen under this mean idea

I teach in a YOI. I’ve taught kids who were born in prison. Kids whose family contact consists of video calling to other prisons. Kids who have never used felt tips or crayons. They are transient, often with us for a couple of weeks and then shipped off elsewhere so they have no continuity of education. SEN is a huge factor. It’s a generational cycle and needs money pumped into early years care and sure start. Threads like this are started by privileged people who have the benefit of education but no experience of the world outside their bubble. There’s a saying, “there but for the grace of god go I”.

Don't be ridiculous. Gyms are to keep fit. That's essential for their mental health as well as physical.

TVs you can't isolate them from the world outside or they will never be able to reintegrate

Really? Do you think all murderers are like the ones you see on the telly then? Because I can assure you're they're not.

There are no "young teenagers" serving life for death by dangerous driving, I'd be prepared to bet at least a tenner on it. The max sentence possible for this did increase to life (previously 18 years, I think) recently, but it's a rare sentence, and I can't imagine it being passed on a teenager unless there were truly exceptional circumstances.

I can definitely imagine circumstances where I might be prompted to violence - who is to say that we might let our loved ones be terrorised, abused or hurt without attempting to stop it? Or to defend ourselves from the same possibility.

It is foolish to assume all people who kill are wicked.

They are privileges in prison. They incentivise prisoners to behave and do work to address their offending behaviour, earn money, get qualifications etc.

Would you like to be in charge of a load of dangerous men bored out of their minds with no incentives for good behaviour or rehabilitation?

I agree with you OP but I think it is likely the cheapest way to keep some degree of order.
Prisoners with absolutely nothing to lose ie lifers with no possibility of parole need something to motivate acceptable behaviour.
I would like more to be spent on education in prisons in general though to enable people to try to change their goals and opportunities in life when they are released. Appreciate this will make no odds to determined criminals, the genuinely evil etc but a lot of prisoners end up in a downward spiral stemming from poverty and very limited educational achievement. Anything which intervenes to alleviate this has to be a good idea both for individuals and for society so is cost effective.

@Americano75 can you tell me what you’re worried you might do (were it not for the grace of God) that would get you life in prison?

This

@LondonLawyer - I think i can't find a UK case. 9 years in prison is the most for a teenager causing death by dangerous driving. Still, the possibility exists

For one it would be harder to control inmates, privileges are an important part of discipline. Also without distractions you would have an even worse mental health crisis, which would make it more dangerous for those working there. It's a really complex issue, leave running prisons to the experts

Do you read the Daily Mail?
Genuine question

Why?

I would also add educational courses and meaningful work.

No, they just look at the pictures

Absolutely. Desperate people in desperate situations can do desperate things. Our entire lives can go very pear-shaped in the blink of an eye.

I don't think some on this thread understand how much you lose when you lose your liberty. I only ever visited prisons to visit those on my case list, and I hated it. The fact I had to go where I was told, I had to wait to be let in and then hear the dor lock behind me. Two hours was more then enough for me. It's not a holiday camp like some think.