James Bulger's mother demands right to find freed killers

[suzywong]

as reported in the \link{http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/story_pages/news/news1.shtml\news of the world.

Should she have the right?

Discuss

errr...gdg, talk like that will get you labelled in some offensive way yourself...

Cheers SM Was only given you my experience as what I have been told. Not just a handful of YOs (and adults), but a general feeling amongst a lot of the teaching/admin staff I work with - many of whom have been working in the environment for a long time. They hear similar things.

Please also remember that YOs are not kids - they are 17-21y10m. They don't really need to do the bravado at. One guy in there is more than honest about his experience (which is not as happy in there - he recently "came out" whilst inside) but the other guys don't pull his comments down at all. That's not the type of behaviour deemed accetable in a prison classroom.

Just thought people may like to hear some comments from inside as not many people have such direct access to inmates actually inside prison right now.

Sorry if it isn't wasn't. Was just giving a bit of insight. I'll keep out of it.

hula, i don't think sm was having a go in any way.

do you think that maybe tho, the fact that they think prison is great (ish) would indicate that their lives are pretty horrible???

Saying things like that wont persuade people gdp. A reasoned arguement may.

Message withdrawn

Beetroot - I am working at the second class down - Cat B for adults; and one of the few Cat A and lifer YO prisons (it's mixed). It is also one of the very few prisons in the UK working at the highest performance level there is for prisons. It is not a low CAT prison. It's a wall and fence type (not just fence) - so pretty high security.

OMG - so easily offended!! Did I mention any names?

I didn't think this was a popularity contest! Like I care what you think of me!

You're being given first hand accounts from prisoners and you still think they are hard done by. It beggars belief.

I tell you what they better give a shit because i have had two parole officers in my house all morning explaining to me how protected and safe i will be. I couldn't believe the process of someone being released. it seems to me he can shit in my vicinity and i can have him arrested. Also if he did lie about all day it wouldn't help with his plea for parole and if you don't seem to be changing your outlook on crime you don't get released.

i doubt that any of us would find prison 'easy'. is that because we lead v privileged lives and are cared for and loved?

nice gdg

Regrettably, I have to agree that prison appears to be no deterrent to crime for some. One only has to see how overcrowded they are to realise that. I think there is a fundamental issue at stake here as far as prison is concerned, and this is whether its purpose is to punish, protect or rehabilitate? In my view that purpose is different for each individual offender and depends on the circumstances of the crime.
What I find achingly sad is that these Young Offenders that Hulababy mentioned actually have a better life in prison than they do outside. How awful is that? What on earth is happening to our society?

I know beetroot. It happens at all prisons. TBH, in the area I work (and we have 5 prisons here!) it is the lower CAT prison where the worst bullying/inmate to inmate nastiness occurs. It has recently recieved a very bad report. I am glad to no longer teach at that prison - I did briefly quite a few years ago.

What like Harold Shipman? My heart bleeds.

80smum, my feelings exactly, but much better put

hula, btw, i think it's fabulous that you teach in prison. it's what they are there for imo, and thanks to people like you, there might be some rehabilitation going on

Lots of people have awful lives but they don't go around making other people's lives a misery do they? What, so we just let them off and say 'there, there - you've had a tough time'??

Have you ever been on the receiving end of violent crime?

I agree; yours must be an incredibly demanding job, Hulababy.

80smum - what they said was that they have an easier life in prison than other people do (i.e. people on low incomes, etc.) - as they have all food, cooking, cleaning, etc. done for them. As one said "here we even have someone to open the door for us". On the outside they do that for themselves.

I don't know why these men commit the crimes they do. Some are in for serious stuff. Some of their crimes I "kind of" understand. Others I just can't. And I am sure that for some this isn'tthe first time they've been inside or the last.

BTW, I assume the two boys are out on sentence anyway are they? A lifers sentence means that if they in any way in trouble or suspected of anything again, they can be pulled back inside at the drop of a hat? That's what my lifers have told me anyway - is that rue? If so, it does mean that these two are not going to live a completely free life ever again. And they will never be able to go abroad - even for a holiday or work, etc.

i've been hit in the face by a stanger i'd never seen before. i've been flashed at several times as a child. i've had a man suggest to me that i'd like to f*ck him as i walked past his car on a deserted road aged 14.

i guess that probably doesn't qualify me to comment on this in your opinion?

80smum - believe me, it is far easier and less demanding than my secondary school job! I enjoy going into the prison. So far, I have come across no problems and, regardless of what they have done on the outside, they are courteous and polite towards me. They even apologise for swearing as I amde it clear in lesson 1 I didn't like i. And the support if anything kicks off is immediaite and very much supportive of the teacher. think schools could learn a lot!