Luxuries in prison?

[PeanutBean]

I agree Helen. TV's mostly crap anyway! Lol

Oh the fuel allowance is just one of many. They went on about how much they were increasing the state pension but it's a lie. The change from the RPI to CPI devalues everything so it works out like pennies a week. Also affects private pensions unless they've got independent terms that state RPI. My pension company told me they'll be sticking with RPI for now. Lucky but it could all change a lot before I get to draw it. Free bus passes going too.

 

[helen1234]

I agree Helen. TV's mostly crap anyway! Lol

Oh the fuel allowance is just one of many. They went on about how much they were increasing the state pension but it's a lie. The change from the RPI to CPI devalues everything so it works out like pennies a week. Also affects private pensions unless they've got independent terms that state RPI. My pension company told me they'll be sticking with RPI for now. Lucky but it could all change a lot before I get to draw it. Free bus passes going too.

crazy isnt it, i'm 33 and i havent thought about a pension yet, my oh has it sorted but i havent i should prob get my ass into gear.

 

[LandN]

People might not see tv as luxuries but im sure alot of prisiners do, and they are cutting all these things to help decent people out, i think they should cut the enjoyable things in prision not only money wise but because they dont deserve it, simple really.

Mothers/fathers/daughters/sons/sister/brother/goes on and on, anyone that is victim to some of these prisinors wether it be rape,murder,abuse,theft, drugs ect ect wouldnt like to know that there tax is helping these people to enjoy there time a little bit more in prison. Makes me sick really does and quite angry too

They should pay for what they have done.

 

[PeanutBean]

You probably should though I feel pensions are such an unknown. Mine's with my employer and on pretty good terms. I have a tiny local government pension too from my year in LA. My mum has half a teacher's pension plus state and my dad has only a state pension. It's not a lot to live on. These days the employer based pensions just don't really suit the way we work. Who stays with the same company for 40 years these days? I reckon I'll have about 10 puddler pensions by the time I retire and they're worth so much less that way, but even less again if you consolidate them.

Wow I've taken this thread so far away from the op. Lol

 

[PeanutBean]

Don't worry, the government will cut the prison budget too and lots of them will necessarily get early release as a consequence.

 

[LandN]

Don't worry, the government will cut the prison budget too and lots of them will necessarily get early release as a consequence.

Im not worrying just makes me angry to think people who have commited crimes have got lots of money being spent on them from things that are not needed, when the money could go to a much worthy place like care homes, schools, hospitals ect ect. Doesnt matter how much either, the main thing is where its being spent at! and wether its worth the money.

How will prisoners get early realeases if they cut the budget in prisons? just wondered

 

[ShanandBoc]

^^^^ yep agree,

but would it make it better by treating prisoners worse, would that make the treatment of our oap's better then. no is the answer

2 separate issues and should'nt be compared.

Im sorry but i disagree

Why shouldnt they be compared? Taxpayers money is going towards both, i know where id rather my money be going?

If there wasnt so many is the prison system and they werent getting so many luxuries, maybe there would be more money for pensioners, as well as better care in our hospitals and countless other areas

Its the elderly in this country (im in Australia btw) that are getting treated like criminals......and are really doing it tough,
while those in the prison system get free food, top notch medical and dental care, free internet, free gym, they get a wage and a allowance

Its all about justice, and criminals recieving better care than our aged residents ( and really the population in general) is wrong on so many levels.

Im not saying lock them up and throw away the key and deffinately believe in rehibilitation for those that can be helped but prison is meant to be a place of punishment not a 5 star resort

Well the 6 jails my oh went to weren't 5 star so I don't know how you came to that conclusion, I just asked him about tv and yes you have to earn the right you land on basic and after 6 weeks you've behaved you are rewarded tv and tokens to keep it going,

You can't compare the two issues because they seperate issues entirely, we've come past concentration camps and treating people Like animals, and by threading prisoners like shit doesn't make how the government treats the elderly right

I never said to treat anyone like animals? I hate it when people put words in my mouth! Concentration camps? Really? No one deserves that what a silly thing to say imo

But why should taxpayers hard earned money be used to give these criminals more than they deserve when other areas are lagging behind.

I dont believe they are seperate issues at all

well what do you suggest then, cos i'm talking in real terms here not what i think should happen

Oh i never said i had the answers to the problem I was answering the OP which asked if we think its fair, and i answered that no i dont think it is.

These criminals have lost their freedom for a reason, but i dont think that in itself is punishment enough, especially for murderers / rapists etc.

 

[ShanandBoc]

This is slightly OT but it seems as a society that criminals have more rights than the victims. Payouts suppossedly going to crims who get bashed in prison (re- Ian Huntly) that are larger than what victims families have been paid. Crims getting paid money by magazines to tell their stories, paid to do documentries, or a series etc.

There is no justice, i just think that crims should pay for what they have done, not treated like animals but life in prison should be hard, not a free ride.

The money is better spent elsewhere

 

[BlackBerry25]

Well my brother has also been a victim, and has been offered quite a large chunk from Victims Services here in Canada, so I don't think that is necessarily true.

 

[ShanandBoc]

^no not always but it does happen.

 

[PeanutBean]

LandN if there isn't enough money to keep people in then I'm sure suddenly some will find they are eligible for early parole. There are only finite resources.

On the pay thing, if an inmate has received compensation that is high then no doubt it is because the injury was great. I don't think we send people to prison to fight one another. They deserve their personal safety as much as anyone. On the pay for stories and the likes well that is crazy but then clearly people want to read it or no-one would pay to publish it. So we probably need to examine those car crash lovers first and see why they get such a kick out of it! Bit like those nuts women who fall in love with murderers and write to them all the time.

 

[sequeena]

My sister enjoyed prison.

I personally don't think they should be allowed anything either.

 

[Dragonfly]

Prison from what I hear seems to be a place poeple will actually commit crime to go for a better life. I know someone that was there, not a friend of anything friend of a friend and they had playstaions, satellite and the internet never mind a tv and all in their rooms! got to make loads of stuff and play pool. Seems more like a leisure center from what I hear. So much for punishment.

 

[helen1234]

i can assure anyone in the uk there is no sky in our jails,
open jails where inmates are put to intergrate to the real world, sleep in dormatorys like a hostel and there is one tv to the whole 500 inmates, my oh didnt watch tv because he worked very long hours anyway.

and in the other jails tv had to be earnt by good behaviour if you didnt behave it got took away.

my oh says there are no luxeries in jails, unless you earn money to spend on chocolate once a week, but he had to spend money on toiletries and tobacco so didnt have any left for things like that.
he said there's not a so called gym, its a gym room with a few weights, it was all the same in the six jails he got moved around in.

he said its not hard if you get your head down get on with your sentence accept your punishment. keep yourself to yourself, but jail is a pretty scary place and there's alot of bullying and to be top dog.

the luxeries are taken way in the means of freedom and all there libertys taken away, be degraded with strip searches, your letters read, and phone calls listened into. i dont see anything luxorious about that

 

[sequeena]

I think women prisons are different to male prisons. My sis was in the one in Gloucester as there isn't a women's prison in Wales as far as I'm aware. I don't think she had Sky but she did have a tv in her cell with her other inmate.

 

[Dragonfly]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1904584/Inmate-boasts-of-luxury-life-in-prison.html
cant find where it says playgrounds but i do know the person that was there and was told from them. Sounded like great fun.

 

[PeanutBean]

Do ever think these ex-crims might just say these things to look big, hard or wind people up?

 

[aob1013]

i can assure anyone in the uk there is no sky in our jails,
open jails where inmates are put to intergrate to the real world, sleep in dormatorys like a hostel and there is one tv to the whole 500 inmates, my oh didnt watch tv because he worked very long hours anyway.

and in the other jails tv had to be earnt by good behaviour if you didnt behave it got took away.

my oh says there are no luxeries in jails, unless you earn money to spend on chocolate once a week, but he had to spend money on toiletries and tobacco so didnt have any left for things like that.
he said there's not a so called gym, its a gym room with a few weights, it was all the same in the six jails he got moved around in.

he said its not hard if you get your head down get on with your sentence accept your punishment. keep yourself to yourself, but jail is a pretty scary place and there's alot of bullying and to be top dog.

the luxeries are taken way in the means of freedom and all there libertys taken away, be degraded with strip searches, your letters read, and phone calls listened into. i dont see anything luxorious about that

That's a good thing?!

They are trying to protect everyone. If people were not strip searched they would have a lot more assualts on their hands as prisoners would hide knives etc. Letters read, yep i agree, they could be discussing something like drug dealing, smuggling in drugs. Phone calls listened to, they could be discussing the same thing as letters.

I agree with it all. It should definately be a humiliating and vile experience, it should be like that so that they shouldn't end up going back.

And about the bullying? Well, that's what happens when you mix with the most vile people in society.

 

[pinkish_angel]

I agree with Helen and Peanutbean. People are so quick to judge and say things that they actually have no idea about. People are in prison for different reasons. Not all inmates deserve to lose their human rights. Some, I agree do. The serial killers, rapists, paedophiles. These individuals should not be given ‘luxuries’ in any way. Basic living is all they deserve. However, people offend for different reasons. Petty crime is a common thing, and reasons behind this are more extent than ‘oh he is just a criminal who does it for a laugh’. People are complex individuals. To tar every criminal with the same brush is stupid. A lot of criminals in prison, took a wrong turn, have openly admitted their crime and are doing the time. May not even be what some would call a serious offence. I.e., an example of this is what about all those people in prison that are there purely through growing/selling cannabis. They weren’t actually harming anyone as its legal in other places. In the laws eyes they are wrong, hence why they are locked up, but do those individuals deserve the discrimination that I have seen in this thread and treated as a murderer?!... ‘they should have to work hard for their luxuries’ (fair play yes they should, we all do whether in prison or not). However, saying they shouldn’t have toiletries!!! . WHAT?? And although off the subject, I believe that the biggest punishment for most offenders is when they come back into society as no-one gives them a chance. They serve their time and yet still can’t get a job cuz they have a criminal record. THAT is often why people re-offend... due to the shallow mindedness of others. They have no where else to turn but crime. I really love to read threads like this. But it sure makes me see how secluded peoples’ minds are xx

 

[day_dreamer]

I haven't read all the posts on this thread, but I just wanted to add my 2p...

My brother in law was recently in prison. He was convicted of death by dangerous driving and sentenced to 4 years, which was reduced to 2 + 2 years on licence (don't get me started on soft sentences!) When he went into prison, he had no qualifications and worked on a production line in a factory. Now, he's done various NVQs, a health and safety qualification and has his fork lift truck licence and has just got a job earning £15k. That's over 3k more than I earn. And yes, I am bitter and resentful about it. Whilst he was in prison, he watched TV, smoked, went to the gym....and most of that I (as a tax payer) paid for.

I agree that there should be some form of rehabilitation for some people, but not everybody. I have half considered commiting a minor crime simply so I can go to prison and get some qualifications...because there's no way in the world I'll ever be able to afford to pay for them myself.