Is it a prison or a recreation center?

I've got a job and I can't really afford this things. Its a complete piss take.

Given that they've burnt them, I guess that will mean they will go without from now on
Sadly, i fear that isn't true. This country is soft and pathetic - too much human rights bollox and socialism. If they've burnt them down, then don't rebuild them - otherwise you are just a complete laughing stock

It is well documented fact that most people, especially those at lower category prisons such as Arundel should not even be in prison. The British 'government' has become a fasist regime, regardless of party as they are all under the corporate thumb now.

Britain has been turned into a corporate sweat shop. All those working pay income tax, national insurance, etc. Also, even those who are unemployed, sick, disabled or senior citizens [many of whom have worked and paid taxes for many years] are expected to pay VAT, TV Licenses, Parking Tickets, etc, etc.

Most people, apart from the criminals in expensive suits, are having a hard time now. Many of those in prison should not be there. It is only because parliament is churning out new laws by the thousands every year that almost everyone is breaking more than half a dozen laws as I write these words. So the police and other gov departments can pick and choose who they prosecute and what for.

When are we going to have a war crimes tribunal for Tony Blair and Gang... or do the police only pick on helpless students and old ladies these days?

Chew on that for a while.

I am fed up with this lazy assumption that all "criminals"= bad, all non criminals=good. Just think. Those in prison are all individuals, some I agree will have done some evil and disgusting things for which there is no excuse, some will have done horrendous things but are also victims, some will have not done anything which harmed another, some are in prison because they did the RIGHT thing for example defended themselves or the vulnerable when attacked, some are utterly innocent and some are framed by the police. Anyone can end up in prison. For example it is necessary for a Temporary Events Notice to be obtained for all sorts of trivia these days, suppose a community group fail to apply for one as the budget is tight and they don't even know about this piece of red tape? Well when they all get 5 years each no doubt these criminals should be just given bread and water and whipped daily?
If the owner of a nursing home continues to employ a trusted worker after 2015 when registration with the ISA becomes mandatory if the ISA don't like what the police say about that worker they can refuse registration, the employer can then be sent to prison for 5 years.
A woman from Jamaica who has her children seriously threatened with murder unless she becomes a drug mule she is scum as well eh? What would any decent person do in that situation? I personally would do what I could to protect my children.
No doubt the asylum seekers who have narrowly escaped torment and death, many of whom are children deserve to be treated like shit as well? Just tell me those who think prisons should be far worse, what exactly would you do if you were being hunted by a mob of murderers? Try and escape (which often makes you a criminal in the UK) or just wait for them to come and kill you?
I don't know the answer to what we as a society do with those who prey on the weak, who make people's lives hell, the abusers, the rapists, of course those who mug old ladies and rape children need to be dealt with. I do know however that the legal system is not perfect and that many innocent people end up behind bars, many guilty walk the streets including the CEOs of multinationals who kill and maim, those who desecrate the environment and police officers who lie in court and fit people up.

"I don't know the answer to what we as a society do with those who prey on the weak, who make people's lives hell, the abusers, the rapists, of course those who mug old ladies and rape children need to be dealt with. "

I do - Put them in prison where they can't hurt the public any longer.
Its not a 100% solution but its better than anything else anyone has come up with.
We can all sit on the fence and say "well, i don't know, there must be a better way..."
But, there isn't. Nasty people don't listen to nice. They take advantage of it - thats why they are there in the first place!! Stop having this victim mentality

Anyway, my point was about the 1st class facilities that these prisoners get and how they decided it was a good idea to torch them because they were to be breathalysed to check for contraband alcohol.

To me, those don't sound like particular nice people as Lynn has conveyed. They sound like nasty people.

And, as one of the people who has to pay taxes to build them a new snooker hall, my point is "why?". Why not spend the money on something useful like better Dentists.
Its a complete waste of money to rebuild a snooker room if they felt fit to burn it down. There is better things to spend money on than a bunch of children who decided to throw their toys out of the pram. They've still got it good. If they want to play hardball - so be it.

Klamber,

Re your when are we going to have Blair and co tried for war crimes! But, there won,t be any "...when", so forget it. Blair is apparently paid millions of £s by various Arab countries for his so-called advice he doles out to them. He's getting Millions! He and co are not deemed by all and sundry to be war criminals. War is a sure-fire money-making trend. I read that the International Court of Justice will try anybody for war crimes, no matter what official position they had and nor how rich they are. A fallacy, that! Riches are a 100% protector. And, moreover, there is class distinction globally, in every country of this world. The only ones who get prosecuted are those who don't kowtow to the globe's big bully boy rulers and their subservient henchmen. God, this world you created is but one titanic evil cesspit. Powered by greed, dominance, corruption, hypocrasy et al ! Even the ancient great Roman Empire suffered inflation, a huge downturn in its economy, its erstwhile hugely wealthy economy amassed from plundering the weak nations. The only escape from all this evil is death. Talking of war crimes, what about those who actually design and those who manufacture all the bullets, shells, rockets, weapons et al? Maybe they, too, are war criminals.

COPS AND SCREWS NEED BEATINGS

only 5% of the prison population are considered to be a risk to wider society even by the people who lock them up.

most people who are inside are there without having harmed any living creature, and often because of crimes of poverty, like the women who are forced into acting as drugs mules to protect or provide for their kids.

others are there because of addictions which they robbed to feed, various kinds of fraud, or because they never learnt to settle a disagreement any other way than with violence.

prison is supposed to be a deterrent - stopping offenders from re-offending and stopping the rest of us from ever offending.

looked at recently or over the entire history of the existence of prisons, it is unarguable and proven fact that prison does not stop people from offending or re-offending. it has no positive effect on crime levels whatsoever.

On the other hand, with the exception of the 5% cited above which usually involved serious interpersonal violence such as rape or murder (a tiny minority in the prison system) research and practise shows that a combination of restorative justice and community service does prevent re-offending. crime prevention measures and better social service provision to families can prevent offending as well as re-offending. better education and childcare also helps. a huge proportion of the prison population grew up in care and/or is illiterate.

isn't it time we started looking at what actually works instead of what satisfies our desire for revenge when someone wrongs us by stealing our car stereo?

I don't think I made myself clear. I have no idea on whether the prisoners were "nasty", "nice" or a bit of both, I also have no better idea on how to deal with the quoted 5% of people who are a danger to others. I did once attend a workshop concerning prisons and was told that if we had an anarchist society no-one would do terrible things such as abuse children, I think that this is utter bollocks. We had freedom tens of thousands of years ago and what happened was that some people threw their weight around and used terror to get what they wanted, they became the ruling classes,Of course someone who is happy to use violence against those weaker, to prey on others, to live off the backs of others just becomes another ruling class. No I will not lament for someone in prison for mugging an old lady or kicking someone to death, nor will I make excuses for them, or blame it on capitalism. My point was that the 80,000 prisoners in the UK are a diverse bunch and any of us could join their ranks after for example defending ourselves from an attacker or being on a demo' which turns a bit lively. To assune that everyone in prison is a "baddie" is just simplistic, many are just ordinary folk, and bear in mind that many evil barstads will never even be arrested and many atrocities are not even seen as crimes by the state.
If I was in prison and someone offered me brandy I wouldn't say no, nor would I passively do what the screws told me either.