Thank God the Lord Chief Justice has the sense to recognise the massive problem

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7097602.stm

As he says, jailing someone for 30 years means society spends a million pounds.

Is that really good use of our taxes? Surely even the most vindictive and vicious can understand there are better ways.

Forgive me, but why does it cost a million pounds to keep one man in jail? What are they eating in there? How come one man on the outside can get by on a meagre

Security, staff, buildings, upkeep, food, healthcare... it's quite a list and adds up to about

A simple solution, bring back hanging for murderers where it is known to be 100% CERTAIN that they are GUILTY, ie the likes of Peter Sutcliffe, Ian Brady, Dennis Neilsen, Ian Huntley, Robert Black I could go on and on.
These people are no good to anyone, they cost the tax payer millions each year and while they are still alive they cause the families considerable grief when their names pop up every so often on the news or in the papers.
I know this will never happen (Too many do-gooders) but this country is a far worse place now than before the abolition of the death penalty.

Sorry Arthur - those of us always implacably opposed to state murder can't go along with you here!

Well I happen to be implacably opposed to child killers and serial killers but thats life.

Or not life as the case may be!

I agree that killing people is wrong; I just don't like saying killing some people is OK.

OK so no death penalty. But how about the reintroduction of bread and water and hard labour with zero privileges? What's wrong with that?

I'm in favour of anything as long as it includes decency, humanity and kindness.

Too many people seem to feel retribution must be inhumane. There is never any need to stoop to the values of the lowest, no matter how repellant people may be.

I've heard a few people raise doubts about the Ian Huntley conviction. I couldn't be sure either way, especially considering the number of 100% positive convictions which have been found to be wrong over the years. Stefan Kisco was 100% guilty becuase he confessed - except that he wasn't. Robert Brown was cleared and released after 25 years. Sally Clark ...

I expect there to be some revelation about a certain other high profile conviction at some point. Eye witness decription of van and driver didn't match the accused, DNA sample was contaminated, oil samples and tire tracks at scene did not match the accused's vehicle ... yet the verdict was guilty.

We can never be 100% sure, unless we catch them red handed - and then they'll probably be someone else.

I often think that people generally don't care whether the right person is convicted, so long as they can take revenge on some poor sod.

It's seldom about Justice.

I think Huntley has admitted guilt though he challenges the reason... that looks pretty cut and dried to me.

There can be differences in "why something happened" but when it involves the death of children I think it's pretty clear.

Surely no-one can think that Huntley was innocent? That's laughable.The man had a long history of assaults on young girls, and there is no doubt about his guilt whatsoever.The fact that he spends his day stuffing his face with rich food and playing computer games only adds insult to injury. Why should someone like that bastard receive 'kindness' or 'compassion'?

Eric - if you feel able to decide who deserves kindness and compassion, feel free to do so.

Those of us who do not feel able to judge others in that way find it safer to feel everybody deserves both.

Decide who deserves kindness and compassion? How about the victims of crime? Many people are sick of hearing about the rights of the criminal. Since when was prison meant to be a luxury hotel, with en suite bathrooms, three course dinners, a la carte menus, gymnasiums, free drugs, and playstation 3's? AND NO BILLS!!

I think the victims of crime deserve kindness and compassion too.

I actually think the death penalty is too good for Huntley and the likes of him.
Ian Brady has been on hunger strike for the last 9 years, Fred West and Shipman hung themselves, Huntley has made no end of suicide attempts so the death penalty would be the easy way out in my view as this would be giving them what they want.
I think the thought of spending the rest of your days in prison without ANY chance of parole and fearing attacks by other inmates at any time while being inside is the greatest punishment for these vile creatures.

Well this is not about should we be brutal in our punishment,but more about can we afford it.
Basically the cost is too high.We should immediately look deeper into the wrongly convicted,and also make sure are courts are impartial,and press restrictions until after a guilty verdict.
As for those who remain,well why not look at using cheaper countries for holding our prisoners? We do it for everything else,and conditions could be controlled,but with a vast reduction of cost.The manpower element is probally the greatest single cost,so use places like India where they'd be happy to make the money it would bring.
Even callous criminals need basic and reliable facilities,not luxury,but humane and spartan.If we can't uphold basic dignity then how can we expect it from others?
Banging people up 3 to a small cell will only result in turning out more experienced criminals.We need an element of reform,as well as a deterent and a protection element.
Prison should be a chance to gain some useful skills,a chance for the uneducated to learn how to exist outside the prison walls without needing to revert to criminality.Also education and literacy will help them get a more decent job afterwards.
On the subject what about after care? Often this can be the difference between reoffending,or settling down.Even hardened criminals can reform,McVicar,Buster Edwards being just two who changed track.
A Victorian prison policy cannot work for the different demands of the 21th century

From what I gather, the reasson for doubts about Huntley's confession is that they think he's a bit of a nutter who might confess to anything if the circumstances are right. It's been known before, and Huntlery gave a very confused confession where he wasn't sure about details. I'm more for hard factual evidence. I haven't studied his case in depth, so I for one couldn't make a judgement. I do know that he's not the first person to confess and be assumed, therefore, to be unquestionable guilty. I heard about the previous allegations, but that is all they were. He was never charged with a crime until the Soham case.

I'd be interested to know which prisons are like luxury hotels. While it's true that most cells have a toilet, the inmate must eat his meals in the same enclosed space as this toilet, possibly while his cellmate is using it. I've not heard of any that serve three course dinners. This seems to be a media fuelled fantasy.

Solihull Exile you make some interesting points, although I'm not sure sending our criminals over to India would be such a good idea as this would make it very difficult if not impossible for their families and friends to visit them.

You clearly havent studied the case in any depth. For starters Huntley DID NOT confess. Huntley attempted to deceive and manipulate not only the police, but the media, local people, and the victims' families. As far as I'm aware Huntley has never made a full confession.