To think prisoners should be safe in prison?

[BlueJuniper94]

Is this an unreasonable belief? I know Ian Huntley committed horrific crimes and I really do sympathise with the feelings that he deserves it in light of what his victims have suffered and continue to suffer.

BUT - this shouldn't be allowed to happen in prisons. Aibu?

I take it you don’t work in a prison or understand how they operate? Of course vigilante justice shouldn’t be served in prison and that’s exactly what the prison service and officers try and control on a daily basis otherwise it would be total carnage. They’re trying to protect all prisoners at all times. That’s why there are segregation wings and certain prisoners can’t work in areas of the prison or mix with other inmates. But unless they have close personal protection, there will be the very rare occasion where other inmates will attack if they’re in proximity.

What’s the alternative? They’re in solitary 24/7? Then people would complain their human rights are violated.
With an offender like Huntley, they’ve done an impressive job keeping him alive for all these years and I’m surprised he’s lasted this long. Nothing is ever 100% guaranteed regardless of mechanisms in place.

Ian Watkins was probably attacked because of being a paedophile. His crimes were horrific but I've always found it strange how there's almost a pecking order with prisoners. I was working on a construction site and two of the workers were talking about being in prison and how the prisoners would attack those in for raping/attacking women because it was so horrible. I googled one of them and his sentencing report came up and he'd attacked a man with a machete and caused grave injuries that had led the victim to turn to drugs because of the effect on his mental health. Yet saw himself as better than rapists. Never made much sense to me.

That's how I see it too. I'm just sorry this attack has generated so much media coverage. It really isn't fair on their victims’ families; it must be very triggering for them.

Not that I have any empathy for Huntley being attacked, I just don't like all the online praise there has been for his attacker, who is equally as vile as he is.

I think prisoners should be safe, whatever their crime. Because we now have the extra expense of security while he's in hospital and the safety of the hospital staff. If he had been kept safe, they wouldn't have to treat him for his injuries. They might never come across him. Now they have to give him great care (because they wouldn't compromise their abilities) while knowing he is a child murderer. I don't think that's fair on them.

So let's keep prisons safe in order to spare NHS staff having to deal with injuries to murderers and to save the taxpayer the cost of emergency care.

Think about the kind of men Ian Huntley is sharing his accommodation with. They are not petty criminals. The staff keep things as safe as they can but, live by the sword, die by the sword.

That is just how I see it, the world isn’t safe, thinking we can keep the place where we send the people who harm others safe is ignorance of human nature.

Resources are scare, that is not how I’d want scare resources used. I’m not wishing anyone harm, I don’t want prisoners specifically to be harmed but I just see it as inevitable that people will be at risk of being harmed in a prison environment just like people who work on oil rigs but for much different reasons.

I read a book on the psychology of this once, its fascinating. The general theme was that they have their own warped "moral code" that meant they can then see themselves as not that bad, the real bad people are the murderers/child abusers/rapists/whatever the person randomly decides is 'really bad'. According to the book, the worse criminals often had the strongest "moral code".

One of several potential outcomes is that Huntley survives but is left permanently brain-damaged and needing round-the-clock nursing at a specialist facility. Does it brighten up your day tonknow that the taxpayer will pay for this?
It could well dwarf the cost of keeping him in prison, even Frankland.

This will also have taken A&E staff away from more morally deserving, but slightly less sick, patients. Would it brighten up your day to be one of the other patients waiting in A&E at the time?

If Huntley died from his injuries - do you think his murderer should be prosecuted for his murder?

Of course if he has capacity but he's on a life sentence anyway i think so has nothing to lose.

I thought he was attacked over a drug debt?

I don't think it was "vigilante justice" - it was just crime amongst criminals.

There’s a good chance the attention is exactly what he wants.

I just can’t bring myself to care that much tbh, it could happen anywhere, to anyone, as his victims families know all too well.

Sometimes what they get at the hands of other prisoners feels much closer to actual justice.

Nobody is mourning Ian Watkins and I very much doubt many would give one solitary shit if this scumbag dies from his injuries either.

Yes, but I'd bet they'd have a bloody easy time of it after despatching someone so evil.

Like most things, it’s down to money.

I realise my opinion is a simplistic view but i feel very strongly that 'the average prisoner' should be kept safe , ideally i would want them to conform with authority whilst there and in return i would like them to receive support and guidance for when they leave prison to hopefully become better members of society.
Losing their liberty should be the punishment and nothing else.
However i make an acception to the likes of Huntley , they are evil monsters and the moment they commit their abhorrent crimes they deserve every single thing they have coming, it must be sheer hell for his type in prison knowing that at any second someone may attack or kill you , no one to trust or confide in , every one inc staff hating you , turning a blind eye etc, if scum like him have just one tiny fraction of the fear they put their victim through before being hopefully painfully killed then good, who would care.

It won't make any difference at all, as he is already on a whole life order. He probably wouldn't even attend his sentencing hearing, he didn't when he was originally sentenced.

It would give him more notoriety inside, though, I suppose.

There's no "should" about it: they are criminals locked in with other criminals, and so the inevitable happens.

in theory yes, but is dog eat dog basically

On another thread it mentioned if he survives he would be in line for compensation.

I can't feel sorry for that man BUT I do believe that people should be safe in prison, regardless why they are there.

I can't feel sorry for that man BUT I do believe that people should be safe in prison, regardless why they are there.

In theory, yes I agree but how does it actually work?

IH was one of the worst so by default gets caged alongside the same. Unless they are all placed in solitary confinement these beasts are going to
come up against each other. The guy claiming the attack sounds like a disgusting human being too, now that he’s gaining notoriety and his crimes are in the media I wouldn’t be surprised if he needed to watch his own back.

Whilst I also think what has happened is wrong, I won’t be losing any sleep over it. As the saying goes.. Karma is a bitch!

@BlueJuniper94
“To think prisoners should be safe in prison.’

In practical terms how do you propose that could be accomplished realistically in a category A prison?

In my opinion, the murdering paedophile made his own bed. I have no sympathy.