Actually a heart warming story on how many horses have been saved from the Knacker's Yard by going to Hollesley Bay Prison to be cared for by inmates.

Yet they turned it into yet another "Why are we spoiling criminals?" rant.

Is it just me who finds it extraordinary that so many people seem to feel you have to be negative about one thing all the time?

It's perfectly sensible to be humane and decent whilst also condemning certain behaviour.

It's like sex offences - those constantly screaming about them seem unable to accept that people who condemn false allegations are not condoning genuine abuse.

And the "build more prisons" brigade seem unable to accept that there are a HUGE quantity of miscarriages of justice. Perhaps cleaning that up before it starts might relieve our crowded system.

Against my better judgement, I will join in on JK`s rant and make it into a debate.

There is one, missing, happy ,teenager in this house today than there should be,and his killer got one year in prison only.

This is not a new story, for anyone that follows the threads, but for anyone that is new.. think!!! for heavens sake, and put things into perspective.

Seven years for a "sex offence", one year for " drug driving killer".. What is wrong with this system? Do we not understand people and circumstance?

I am looking at a picture as I type, of a lovely lad (now gone)from a horse loving family, which fits into JK`s post, and it makes me spit that the judicial system is hunting in the celebrity "Big Brother" area.

(Please be tolerant with me if I appear unsympathetic by leaving the particular and referring to the general. If I do otherwise I would be unable to contribute sensibly.)

I think this shows that a criminal is not single entity, always the same.

There is one who is conscious and one that is reckless.

The first is in many ways easier to deal with. It is the career criminal who is in an established behaviour pattern who will seek out opportunity. This is the group that rehabilitation is relevant to.

The reckless is the harder for my 'liberal' mind to rationalise. I say that because I do not know what should be done. Deterrent and rehabilitation do not apply in the way they do for the first type, which leaves us only with punishment.

What is a fitting retribution for grossly reckless and stupid behaviour that kills other people? I do not know.

I think the way you have approached the subject is fine Zoo, us mere humans, are not and never will be qualified to judge ourselves.
I didn`t think the boardhoast would actually put my post up on this subject (this is my final word on this , as we have moved on), being personally mocked by the man`s family, who`s name we will never mention ever, in court, shows you how ridiculous the legal system is.
We appeared to be the criminal in the case and not the victims. End of story.


Back to the music.

<<< What is a fitting retribution for grossly reckless and stupid behaviour that kills other people? I do not know. >>>

You could apply the same principle to every other branch of the law.

I think the punishment should fit the crime - and there is no worse crime than taking someone's life away. Sometimes that happens accidentally - but if the person driving was drunk or under the influence of drugs they have behaved in a wreckless manner, as if having no regard for the possible consequences. It's the equivalent of saying "I don't care about the consequences" which to me is equal to pre-mediatated murder.

I agree that there are hardened criminals who should be in prison (and suggest that every time they get convicted we double the sentence as the previous sentence obviously had no effect).

On the other hand there are far too many people wrongly convicted - and as no system is perfect, there must be a better was for judging claimed "miscarriages" than the present one (which will only look back at a case if "new evidence" is found).

Also, we should be far more discriminating about when we send people to prison. Prison should be a deterrent - which it can no longer be once someone has been there !