My America is the United States of my mother's childhood, when she was kissed
at the age of 9 months by Grover Cleveland, in his successful presidential
campaign of 1892. I was pleased to note that Barack Obama, another
Democratic candidate, claims to have kissed several hundred babies in the
course of the primaries to date: he will no doubt have to kiss a few hundred
more before he gets to the White House.
Kissing babies is a splendidly politically incorrect thing to do. It is liable
to spread germs; it could be misinterpreted as harassment. It marks out
Senator Obama as a thoroughly old-fashioned candidate, however progressive
he may be in his speeches. Compared with Hillary Clinton, it makes him seem
a conservative candidate, though not as conservative as Senator John McCain,
who is a 71-year-old war hero with a heart of gold. The United States could
do with a return to the good old days, in idealism as well as campaign
styles.
My grandfather was a native-born American, the son of Irish immigrant parents.
He believed that the US was the land of equality, freedom and law. He became
the president of the village of Mamaroneck because he understood the duty of
the citizen in a democracy. He hoped post-Civil War America would continue
to move towards greater equality, of immigrants and native born, of black
and white.
Last week there was published a report that he would have found very
disturbing, as indeed would my mother. This report concerned the American
prison system; it was published by the Pew Centre, a Washington think-tank.
The figures are shameful for anyone who feels a loyalty to the American
tradition.
The big figure is that one adult American in 100 is currently in prison; that
compares with one in five or six hundred in Britain. The annual budget for
US prisons come to $50 billion. The situation is particularly bad among
young black males. About 11 per cent of young black men are in prison.
This has been defended on utilitarian grounds. Jeremy Bentham, who coined the
phrase “the greatest happiness of the greatest number” as the justification
for social action, was himself a designer of prisons. His prison was
actually built on the Millbank site that now houses the Tate Gallery. It did
not work, but sent the prisoners mad.
The Sunday Times yesterday had a bizarre quotation from a Benthamite law
professor from Utah, Paul Cassell. He argued that the Pew Report has
“ignored the very tangible benefits” from reduced crime rates of jailing
people. “It's terrible we have to incarcerate so many so the rest of us can
live safely,” he said, but that's the price of living in the freest society
in the world. If one in 100 in jail is a sign of the most free society in
the world then China, with a prison population of 1.5 million in prison, is
the runner-up in the proportional prison population and presumably in
freedom.
There is no real evidence that “prison works”. Most European countries have
lower prison rates and lower crime rates than Britain, let alone the United
States. In America, New York has one of the best recent records in reducing
crime. Between 1993 and 2006 the violent crime rate in New York fell by 59
per cent. At the same time the prison population was reduced by 2 per cent.
Success may be due to sending the right people to prison - those who are a
real threat to society - and to good policing.
Nearly half the federal prisoners in the United States are in jail for
non-violent drug offences. Drug offences are particularly common in the
slums of the big American cities, as in Britain. They are associated with
the low standards of inner-city schools, with gangs that often are violent,
and with limited job opportunities.
Barack Obama is himself a relatively young black man, who was reared by a
single mother and by his grandparents. He took the middle-class professional
route out of poverty. He went to Harvard and was Editor of The Harvard Law
Review, a post of high prestige. Yet his childhood and youth may never have
been more than a minor slip away from social disaster. More than one in 10
of his black contemporaries did not reach Harvard; instead they were sent to
the penitentiary. Perhaps he will be able to do something about that, if he
is elected. I'm sure he will try.
The United States is a vast country, with widely varying standards in almost
everything, including American law. American lawyers do undertake public
service legal actions, but, in general, the best US law is the most
expensive.
Conrad Black's case is an example. Lord Black of Crossharbour is expected to
go prison today, though his lawyers have demolished several charges against
him. He was convicted on plea bargaining evidence that probably would have
been excluded in a British court; there is an obvious danger of injustice
when a witness can benefit by a shorter sentence if he incriminates a
colleague. Conrad Black's defence has cost him $60 million so far, a sum
beyond the means of all but a tiny number of super-rich families.
If Barack Obama had been charged with a drugs offence in his early twenties -
and he admits to drug use - he would not conceivably have had $60 million to
pay for his defence. He would not then have been able to raise $1 million.
Young blacks in prison in the United States could not possibly afford the
best available defence. They are victims of American society, even though
they may also be criminals.
Though I can't argue with this writer's assertion that there is no relationship with crime rate and number of ciminals incarcerated, I don't buy the criminals are victims argument used by naive intellectual liberals. Mr. Reese-Mogg doesn't satisfactorily address a more sobering fact: that young black males are disproportionally represented in American prisons for violent crime and that they are statistically more likely to commit a violent crime. I live within 10 miles of Philadelphia where violent crimes committed by young black men is a daily news story. I am certainly interested in solutions that will work to change this, but addressing blame, and presenting the overworn "criminals as victims" argument is one that has worn away at what's left of my liberalism.
Stephen Graff, Woodbury, NJ
I have a question about Senator Barack Hussein Obama: Mr. Obama was born in 1961, and was therefore required to register for Selective Service (â€the Draftâ€) under the law. Does anyone know if he registered? Bet the media won’t dig too deep into that one like they did President Bush’s time in the Texas Air National Guard!
Ira Stein, Des Moines, Iowa, USA
I always wondered why we slavishly follow fiscal, social and policing policy of the United States. Keeps a lot of uniforms in work. Well done Jack Straw.
Mark, Gateshead, UK
Every country has its judicial blind spots. In your country, a man may be found guilty of murdering his wife and serve four years in prison. A man may rape many children and be given 18 months. A woman may refuse -- or be unable to -- pay her TV licence and serve a year inside. Very revealing of the society's value of certain lives over others.
Nancy Wood, London,
I like William Rees-Mogg's columns: lucid, well-considered and very British. Carry on Will!
Chuck, London, UK
There is some truth in Jem's assertions about Black people and economic deprivation. At a societal level, inequality correlates with crime rates and inequality is greater in the U.S than in Europe. But immigration is not well-supported by evidence as the primary reason for Black disadvantage. And in a U.S. context, singling out Blacks as the immigrants is at variance with history.
John Russell, Coniston,
forget the expensive lawyers... a disproportionate number of young black men are locked up both here and in the u.s. because they commit a disproportionate amount of crime.
there are many reasons for this and no simple solution. partly, it is because blacks, as immigrants, tend to be economically deprived. partly, it is cultural. fathers do not take responsibility for their children, people don't have manners and are selfish and inconsiderate, learning and working hard are frowned upon. laziness and violence are glamourised and people expect something for nothing.
in order to expect someone to take responsibility for their actions, it is necessary to teach them right from wrong and give them a chance to succeed by doing the right thing.
jem, london, uk
The rise in criminality may have its origins in the excessive freedom of today's children. No discipline, no sense of respect for anything and absolute sexual freedom. If a kid wants to have alcohol, who is stopping him? Eventually, who can stop him or her from getting a gun? What protection do parents have from violent children?
Simon
Simon, Santiago, Chile
The key is guns. many more criminals in the U.S. have guns so are imprisoned for armed robbery, not just robbery.
james phillips, durham, north carolina
We may lock up a greater percentage of our population in Britain than say in Scandinavia, but do we lock up a greater percentage of our offenders ?(which is a totally different thing). It was growing leniancy from the sixties onwards that led the crime rate to spiral and then indirectly led to a a spiralling prison population, which nevertheless still failed to keep pace.
e skelton, cardiff, wales
The notion that Europe is somehow safer than the USA is doubtful. We lived in Italy and my son was assaulted but the police would not arrest the guy until we went to the hospital and proved he was hurt? We finally gave up. Petty theft was rampant. We know of 4 occasions were somone tried to pick pocket us. If your car was accidentally left unlocked, anthing of value was gone. All doors and windows in homes were barred because of some many burglaries. I personally experienced multiple burglary attempts and we lived in what was considered a nice, safe area? My company built equipment for the UK market and vandalism was so bad, our dealers requested that machines bound for the UK had special vandal protection and anti-theft provisions?
One American's perspective.
G Dubay, Minneapolis , Minnesota USA
The insanity of liberalism....the very suggestion,
the very faintest idea of personal responsibility is
considered an anathema. It's always someone
else's fault.
J.Roberts
USA
J. Roberts, Atlanta, ga
In the words of many of those in prison "Obama ain't not gonna do nuthin' fer nobody" He has fine feathers, don't all politicians.
Phil de Buquet, Newport, England
It is very distressing to read, repeatedly, in the British press, of criminals who commit horrendous crimes - murder and rape - against women and girls ..then end up with "slap on the wrist" politically-correct prison sentences as a consequence.
Not too long ago, maybe twenty to thirty years ago, the USA was in a similar situation: We had what was called a "revolving door" justice system where the "rights" of the criminal were of paramount importance. Americans got totally fed up of that nonsense and demanded changes, including stiff prison sentences for crimes. That is the history of why the US prison population grew.
The current thinking in the USA is that the individual is, and must be held responsible for his or her own actions and crimes! We DO NOT have the Socialist paradise idea that "It's ALL Society's Fault!": "If You Can't Do The Time, Don't Do The Crime!" Shocking, huh!? I pray for the same concept in Britain to protect women and children.
Garth Rex, Glendale Heights, USA
Brits just don't get it. I know you just love all minorities and feel superior to White Americans, (and minorities everywhere) but perhaps that's Public School learned Guilt?
In the US you are considered innocent; you get a lawyer; a grand jury has to agree there is good evidence to hold a trial; there are unlimited rights of appeal. And a lot of overturned verdics, techicalities, etc. We lock up a fraction of the lawbreakers, and those laws are made by US.
No personal privlidge laws like reserving deer for the King.
NO ONE FORCES ANYONE TO ROB, RAPE, OR MURDER.
People locked up are there because they are criminals. We don't lock up enough of them. And we even lock up whites and females. Who break the law. Duh!
During the Great Depression more than a few of us were without jobs, and somehow, we didn't commit crimes. White or Black. Duh again!
The sad truth is the postwar baby boom is mostly reincarnated Nazis with problems and one lifetime of self-indulgent Karma!
Jack, Highland, USA
But now we're all victims these days aren't we. Nothing is ever own doing. It's always the fault of society or bad parents or school teachers. Never mind that we actually do have the choice to NOT do the bad thing. Group hug every one, and say an affirmation or two to the person next to you. We'll empty these prisons right out if we just sprinkle a littel more social welfare on it, after all since all this social welfare spending has been going on for the past fifty years or so, things have improved so very much now haven't they.
luce_sociator, Monterey, USA Texas
The quality of your life is greatly the product of the decisions you've made. The reason why low income populations make up the bulk of the prison population is because they, and the people around them, make bad decisions every single day. How can we possibly be surprised? We have a pop culture that glorifies every repugnant behavior imaginable. Populations naturally gravitate to the lowest common denominator, unless you purposefully identify that segment as undesirable. Until society consistently shuns ignorance, thuggery and criminality we will continue to have plenty of each.
If you want to help elevate peoples socio-economic situations, help them make better decisions . The problem is the people have to want to help themselves.
Bill, DeLand, FL, USA
Is Obama the American Mandela? Obama brings a message of hope and change to a country at the crossroads. It is choice between the past and the future. But is Obama the American Mandela who could inspire Americans to a better future at home? And a future where America takes it rightful place at the global table? Is he the one? The question of whether Obama is the American Mandela is discussed in my blog Angry African on the Loose at http://angryafrican.wordpress.com/2008/02/20/is-obama-the-american-mandela/
HenkC, Boston, US
Dear William Rees-Mogg:
I find your article rather interesting, but I must add, the answer to your question has nothing to do with the election of Barack Obama to the office of the presidency of these United states of America.
The prison population of America , regardless to creed or color has more to do with having a mind of wanting a better life, by way of a better education.
I can truly say that the majority of the prison population of the USA is young Hispanic and Africian American men. The question we have to ask ourselves is, why so many of them ? Is it a lack of jobs ,proper housing, lack of education ? We can all ask ourselves these questions, and perhaps the answers are with those presently in prison.
As human beings we have to realize that there are laws that govern us all, and when those laws are broken with no regards for others, we will inevitably have to pay for our actions.
Thanks for the article.
Jeffrey churchill, Pierrefonds, Quebec. Canada
Building huge and bigger prisons doesn't help stem crime much. We tried this is California, it just created very powerful Political Action Committees from the Prison Guards. The heart of the crime issue in America is social inequity and the 'institutionalization' of the narcotics trade. The Soution to these issues is to provide higher quality employment to American Citizens. The American workforce and American youth are rather thoroughly abused: high workplace accident rates, high foreclosure/bankruptcy rates, overy driven and overly youthful themes to work and the pace of work, capricious high cost economy....So many youth 'drop out' and become part of the narcotics trade to find income, employment, fellowship. Then, since narcotics are addictive...life goes violent, abusive and downhill from there.
Most of the time, when you are reading statistics about how well employed and affuent America really is, you are reading fraudulent numbers.
Ryan M. Ferris, Bellingham, Washington
<<America can tomorrow elect a son of a African goat herder to become it's President and the most powerful man in the wold>>
Obama's father was not an African goat herder. He was a Harvard School graduate...
John, Kiev, Ukraine
"Most European countries have lower prison rates"
It depends on how you calculate this. According to Civitas:
"If we imprisoned offenders at the average rate (per 1,000 crimes) of EU members, the prison population would be 113,150 instead of 80,000. Eight out of the fifteen members of the EU for which figures are available imprisoned offenders at a higher rate than England and Wales. The calculations are based on figures for 2003 (the latest available from the Council of Europe).
With a prison population in England and Wales of 80,000, if we imprisoned at the same rate as France, the prison population would be 91,113. If custody were used at the same rate as in Scotland, there would be 88,142 in jail. Socialist Spain has the highest rate per 1,000 crimes and if her rate applied in England and Wales the prison population would be about 369,000."
Chris W, Kendal,
For all the American Liberals who have written their laments on the plight of American Black Youths in prison. The (FACTS) still show, prison for young blacks is a cultural failure. Young blacks who try to learn in school are ridaculed or assaulted for "acting white". The major factor for young black males in prison is the fact that there are no positive male role models in most black families. The illegitimate birth rate for African-Americans is over 70%.
Finally, black males comprise about 14% on the american population ,BUT, commit 52% of the "VIOLENT" crime.
(NUFF SAID)
Ed, Atlanta, USA
Everyone in the USA knows the saying:
"IF YOU CAN'T DO THE TIME...DON'T DO THE CRIME!"
We have freedom of choice in the USA!
This article is very disappointing, and totally inaccurate, in suggesting that justice and a good legal defense can only be purchased by the super rich. If the super rich chose to hire super-expensive attorneys, they will naturally pay more!!!!
To therefore conclude that: "Young blacks in prison in the United States could not possibly afford the best available defence. They are victims of American society" is, as another writer has so eloquently stated:
"UTTER NONSENSE!"
1% of Americans, of all colours, are in prison. A hugely larger percentage of American, including Black Americans, are living decent lives and often working against tremendous odds to defeat poverty and to gain educations and become oustandingly prospereous and successful .. in one of the greatest human success stories that the World has ever known.
Garth Strong, San Diego, USA/CAL
It is so obvious that Americans think they are correct and everyone else is wrong. I grew up In Ohio. But after Vietnam, moved to Europe. the american prison system is a slum, a school for crime, a centre of rape and revenge. But don't tell that to Joe and Jane 6-pack.
Tom McGuire, Castellon, Spain
Nice article...so true as well.
Sunil, Edinburgh, uk
"Most European countries have lower prison rates and lower crime rates than Britain"
Most other European countries have a much higher rate of imprisonment per crime than the UK. If you want to commit crime, and you think you'll get caught, the UK is the country to do it in, because we imprison a lower rate of convicted criminals.
We may imprison more of the population, but that's because we have more crime -- we have more victims of crime as well as more people in prison.
The ratio which is important for the public feeling safe is the number of victims against the number of imprisoned criminals.
We have this bizarre notion in much of the jurisdictional thinking in this country that because, evidentially, lower imprisonment and lower crime are linked in many countries, that reducing imprisonment somehow causes lower crime.
However no-one can really postulate a mechanism by which is works. Whereas the mechanism for the inversed causation is obvious and trivial.
Katie, Cambridge, UK
Blacks represent a disproportionate percentage of the gaol population of every country where they have been imported, in spite of the fact that most countries have governments and organised, vociferous liberal pressure groups who 'bend over backwards' to give them every possible advantage over the unfortunate native population. If that translates as their being 'victims', I wonder why the same is not said of men in general, who far exceed women in numbers of criminals ?
Can men also not claim 'prejudice', ask for an enquiry into the 'institutional sexism' of the police, and demand that equal numbers of women are gaoled ?
L Stewart, Spalding, England
Why is that people don't take into account that Barack Obama was raised by his White mother and his White Grandparents. His father left when he was two years old, so he has no motive to do anything unethical to help Black Men in prison.
Autumn, Long Beach, California
Everybody who isn't rich is a "victim"? Is that everywhere or just in America?
Bob Hall, New York, United States
The problem with lower class blacks in America ( as with whites in the Council Estates ) is The Great Society. Due to the Socialist vision of we can ' help ' everyone, even when they are ' victims '. We have a complete breakdown in family. Illegitimate children, have half a dozen-its free, no consequences. Want to father as many children as you can, go ahead-it is free, no consequences. No job skills because that is acting ' white ', no consequences. Just remember that you are a designated ' victim ' and there is nothing that is your fault. This is the result of a complete breakdown in moral authority, and is the result of ' radical individualism '. Thank you Socialist Governments and their " useful idiots " the Social workers. Remember the road to Hell is paved with good intentions
Desmond Taylor, Houston, USA Tx
"He took the middle-class professional route out of poverty. "
Um ... Obama didn't grow up poor. He traveled widely growing up because his mother was involved in international rural development. Do your homework.
Olive , Washington, D.C., USA
Well Obama could say that he was going to let thousands of young thugs onto the streets, but somehow I don't think that would increase his chances of getting elected. Or can the prison population vote in America?
Ian Bannen, Oxford, UK
Barak Obama may have been " reared by a single mother and by his grandparents," but he hardly " took the middle-class professional route out of poverty."
Now the facts. He graduated from the Ponahou School in Honolulu, as exclusive (and expensive) a secondary education as you can get in the United States. Then he went to Occidental College in Los Angeles, listed by U.S., News and World Report as one the top schools in the country, and which costs almost $45,000 a year to attend. He later transferred to elite, Ivy League Columbia University ($46,000 per year) and then went to Harvard Law School. Hardly a "middle class route out of poverty." In fact, he was never poor and was always a child of pririvilege, a result of family money and/or affirmative action policies at the elite educational institutions he graced,
Mike Morrison, Southport, North Carolina
I think that it is naive to believe that weare anybetter in the UK when it comes to the better the defence the more expensive it is.
we have sen several miscariages of justice whre the defence did not have their own experts to match the sate.
Here in Florida we ave a saying -If you do not want to do time. dont do the crime
Charles J Daniels, Lady Lake, FL
You'll find that it is all realative, 1/900 is less than 1/600!!!
Cookie, London,
When I lived in the UK, I remember meeting with one of Britain's finer prisons (I was a software salesman). Trying to relate to the mgmt, I stated how US prisons incarcerated X number of people and used my software to manage the records. I was very abruptly set straight by the leader of the group who emphatically said, "Sir American, the UK does NOT incarcerate people, we REHABILITATE people."
Having had my car stolen in the UK and my house broken into all within a two year window while living in Britain, I couldn't help but wonder if this utter SNOB was incapable of looking in the mirror and asking himself if the British system could learn a thing or two from the US system. The rate of burglery and other lifestyle crimes in the US is a fraction per capita of that in the UK.
Both the US and the UK have their own crime crosses to bear. We just deal with them differently: The US locks the criminals up whereas the UK gives its criminals a big hug.
William, Edison, NJ, US
It's unfortunate that so many black males are in prison, but a large number have been convicted of violent crimes, which are punished severely in the USA. In many states, armed robbery & murder convictions will result in decades, if not lifetimes, in prison. Many imprisoned drug offenders are actually dealers, a violent trade for those defending their turf. Users are generally offered several opportunities for treatment; those who continually fail eventually wind up in prison as probation violators.
Big Jake, NJ, USA
If China has 1.5 million in prison then their proportional representation is approximately 1 in 900 (i.e. with a population of 1.3 billion, right?). By your numbers, China incarcerates fewer than Britain, which has about 1 in 600. Some of your math looks dodgy, or was your insinuation a Freudian slip?
peter, Pittsburgh, pa
Why the negativity and the attacks?. America can tomorrow elect a son of a African goat herder to become it's President and the most powerful man in the wold. That is to be commended and should be celebrated to the hilt. I know I will. Can the same thing happen in here in Europe? Never in a million years. I'm fascinated by American politics, while I don't even know who my M.P is. Why do people leave Europe angry and despondent?. Viva America.
Kathy Millet, London, UK
Utter nonsense! The nanny-state Democrats created a welfare system that drove black fathers from their homes by offering checks to SINGLE moms on a per-child basis. More kids, more money. If there's a wage earning man at home no money. Thirty years down the road we have three generations of kids that have grown up lacking discipline and guidance. That is why the jail cells are so full.
Charles of Philly, Philadelphia, Pa., USA
Of course prison works.
If you are chained in a cell you are not stabbing anyone for hits on facebook, or hits of crack.
Does prison fix criminals, no, but who cares?
If a criminal is in jail, he isnt breaking into my house, good enough for me.
Dominic, Manchester, UK
Mr Rees-Mogg....Mr Obama is a 'mulatto'...1/2 white (mother) 1/2 black (father),and you did not speak (Print) the truth on that in your article....The matter of the truth is, 'do the crime, do the jail time'....If the citizens want to re-peal certain types of jail time for certain 'low' mis-takes (crimes)...fine...but, these thugs didn't get there because of there looks...they did harm...I for one would like to know how many of these darlings "you want in your household" ???
Mr Tim, san marcos, U S of A /Ca
As Jeanne Kirkpatrick said of the United States, we are the only real revolution. Unlike most Europeans, we've never been mere "subjects." Chide us for our naivete, but we still believe that we the people make our own laws, while Europeans have grown accustomed to having laws handed down by their betters. When one of us breaks the law, he breaks a law we have made for ourselves, and thereby erodes our hard-won freedom to govern ourselves. The law-breaker threatens not just our safety or domestic tranquility, but freedom itself. Thus, here, the punishment fits the crime.
Russ Armstrong, Becker, Minnesota
Barack Obama attended Punahou School, a private school in Hawaii from grade five until his high school matriculation. In other words he comes from a privileged background and not one of poverty as William Rees-Moggsuggests. Also according to this article society as a whole is responsible for young American blacks being in jail. This is nonsense. They are in jail as a result of their own actions. Poor people from all over the world immigrate to the US including blacks from Africa and the Caribbean and yet somehow they are able to work their way up the ladder of success. Is this also society’s doing or did their own hard work get them there?
Brian V Hunt, Hamilton, Canada
No doubt the US Justice system penalizes blacks in proportions that are unconscionable. There is no perfect explanation for this, but it is interesting to note that we Americans pride ourselves on being more religiously vigorous than Europeans, who have lower crime and incarceration rates. Can it be that the legacy of US religious fundamentalism is that we continue to foster a more punitive justice system? It's certainly no accident that political conservatives in this country are usually religious conservatives and vice versa. These are the people who continue to vote for the mandatory minimum sentences, the zero-tolerance policies and so-called "three strikes" laws, which disproportionately affect the poor in general and blacks in particular.
William La Valley, Desert Hot Springs, CA--USA
While they're in prison these people can't commit crimes against the public - what could be clearer than that?
David Armstrong, Essex,
"Young blacks in prison in the United States could not possibly afford the best available defence. "
Neither could young whites, or young Hispanics or young Native Americans or anyone else come to that.
Sorry, this is nonsense.
Stan(expat), USA, USA
Don't forget the high number of prisoners who are now being found to be innocent through DNA testing - particularly those on death row. Also don't forget that prosecutors have a political incentive to prosecute and convict those least able to defend themselves. That partly explains the high incarceration of blacks who are the most vunerable to this kind of prosecutorial misconduct. Finally don't forgot the disparate sentences for powder cocaine that middle/upper class whites favor, and the crack cocaine that is popular in the ghettos - this also has a major effect on the disproportionate number of blacks sentenced to prison.
bennie, new york, new york, USA
You have not mentioned one important factor - jobs. Unfortunately, the types of employment suitable for uneducated young men are most likely to be be held by Mexicans who have entered the US illegally. This has caused wages of unskilled jobs to plummet, making crime relatively more attractive.
If we want to do something about the men in jail, we would have to make suitable employment available to them. That would mean stricter enforcement of emigration law at the point of hire. The Mexicans would leave, wages would rise, and employers would have to be less selective in order to get the workers they need.
Jonathan, NYC, USA
No they are not,criminals are criminals.
Soft-soaping them as victims of society is classic liberal double-speak.
If they commit a crime, then they are responsible for their actions.
No matter what ,that daddy didn't marry mummy. The white man did not do that to them.
Do the crime ? --then do the time.
wilfred knight, orange county, usa/ca
Your stats showing how high levels of imprisonment have no correlation to lowering crime are so clear. And yet in resonse to every article about antisocial teens or offenders of any type the highest supported comments are always those that shout "we should lock 'em all up!". It often seems no amount of evidence will ever persuade people different.
And I can't wait to hear the first person who accuses William Rees-Mogg of being a wishy-washy lefty liberal :)
David Williams, Beijing, China