The prison service don't know how many prisoners have escaped! There are definitely some pieces of news that I would prefer not to hear. It seems that they are now going to invest in a new system in order to track this a bit better, but not as a recognition of need but because the public and media are asking more questions.
Kind of imagining roll call in the morning
Officer: Biggs
Prisoner: Here
Officer: Davies
Prisoner: Here
Officer: Fox
Prisoner: Here
Officer: Layton
Officer: LAYTON
Officer: Oh never mind, suspect he's just nipped to the loo, tick him anyway.
Or how about in Colditz:
German Officer: We have checked the prisoners sir
German Governor: And?
German Officer: All present sir
German Governor: You are sure this time?
German Officer: Yes sir...................Er
German Governor: What?
German Officer: Well....
German Governor: What?
German Officer: I suppose I didn't see McQueen
German Governor: Oh never mind, he's probably playing baseball somewhere.
It certainly brings a new meaning to "open" prison.
4 comments:
Apologies, I am abot to become factual! You need to understand the difference between how many have escaped in total and whether or not they have escaped. Now I grant you an easy mathamatical equation should follow still... working in a prison I can assure you that much effort goes into ensuring that all prisoners are where they say they are and if any are not procedures take place that makes Colditz an easy place to leave. However, open prisons are what they say on the tin, they are open. Society has to accept that if it is to lockk people up (and i'm not saying they shouldn't) then it is in the interest of that society to help those individuals resettle back into society again. It is here that open prisons come in, those individuals now deemed to be of a "lesser" risk are allowed visits and work back in the community. I guess that as in all area's of society a small number take advantage of the system. But it is only a small number the vast majority find this process very helpful, so please don't believe everything printed in the daiy whatever! Ok I am now climbing down from my soap box.
I would agree that it is a good idea not to believe everything reported by the media, even if it is Radio 4. However it did appear to be the prison director general himself who said that he didn't know how many were missing and that the database would now be developed. That it will now be developed indicates it was something that was both possible and needed (if it wasn't possible they would say, and if wasn't needed then they wouldn't waste the money). What does seem important is that the category of those allowed into open prisons seems to be being broadened. But even if we ignore this, if the numbers missing are unknown then it is hard to rectify, if you don't know the scale of a problem then you don't know what level of response is needed. Open prisons are a good idea, and should be encouraged, but we still need to know where people are. This is not a statement against those who work in prisons, as I know a few, but it is a statement on the structure.
Sorry me again. It was not the number missing that was the issue those numbers were known. The issue were how many had been recaptured, once escaped that is no longer a job for the prison service but becomes a job for the police. Creating a database for that does seem a waste of money, as indicated by Phil Wheatley himself "Mr Wheatley insisted the information would be of no use to the Prison Service but said he was ready to divert cash to set up a new database." Still I am sure the debate will rage on.
Ah, you see this is why it is worth having debate, more clarity can emerge. And I believe a straw poll of friends has demonstrated that there ahs been a fair bit of misunderstanding. Basically you are saying that this is not the prison services fault because they actually know how many have escaped. The problem is that no-one informs them when someone is recaptured, so they may be considered "at large" when the firm hand of the law already has their collar in its grasp. That is reassuring to a degree. However, it would suggest that both time and tax payers money are being wasted looking for people that can't be found because they are actually in a very safe place, ie the nick. Although i may be mistaken in thinking that time and effort goes into finding these people.
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