h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Ahh my new best friend

SWL you assume this access in prisoners have free access to anything shows what you know about prisons doesnt it.

The Idea of prison is that you have restricted freedoms, Id have thought most people would know this but I forgot about people like you....

"Given that prisoners are known to have tried suing over food, slopping out, access to Sky TV, letters, etc etc etc, what prison officer in his right mind would leave themselves open to litigation?

So you choose a handgul of hig profile cases to prove a rule...the depth of your research astounds me. No really Im astounded that a few headlines have duped anyone into beleiveinfg the world is really like that and Im not even forgeting about people like you when I say that.

Have a little think, you might want to sit down before you start or get a responsible adult round to help you before you start. Have a little think about the differences between the number of rapes carried out, the nuber that are reported and the number that get to court and of this small number of the original figure how many actually end up with a conviction.

Now try and relate the difficults faced by women in an obstensibly free society compared to inmates who dont have those same freedoms.

I know how easy for employees in an institution to close ranks and stonewall internal or police investigations, I wouldnt expect you to know this even after thinknig about so you might want to ask some one a little more intelligent what probably happnes in the majority of cases of prison brutality.

I admit that the original post could be read two ways but since Ive posted clarifications Potty and Johnny P have managed to see that I never actually said or meant to say "all" of any proffesion are "all the same".

In future just for you and other people who are hard of understanding I will try to make my posts much simpler and maybe include pictures for you to colour in if reading long complicated posts makes your sweet little head hurt.

one love

Your sweeping generalisation was just plain wrong and you refuse to admit it.

You have a very black & white attitude to the world.

You met some people who claimed to have had a hard time in prison, well boo-hoo. I bet they were innocent too, probably fitted up by our institutionally racist police.

Your comment, had it been made against a religion could well have ended up with you in jail yourself.

Prisoners have free access to Welfare Officers at any of their scheduled visits. In addition, a request from a prisoner to see a Welfare Officer outside these times has to receive a visit within 3 working days, by law.

There is a medical official onsite 24/7. A request to see the nurse must be met within 60 minutes at any hour of the day.

Learn the facts before you debate.

What would you consider to be fair treatment of prisoners, SWL?

These guys seem to be working along the right lines:

http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/

Bear in mind that I personally would support a far more draconian system for those generally accepted to be "beyond the pale", who would under different circumstances face the death penalty. In these cases I would prefer for them to be locked alone in a cell 24/7 with no amenities until dead.

I do know the facts SWL, but thanks for correcting YOUR OWN previous inaccurate precis of them.

If you took a little more time to read my posts you'd know that IM not basing my view of prison staff on prisoners testimony soley but largely on that of PRISON OFFICERS.

Sorry about the use of typos but you do have a nasty habit of missing important information.

one love

"In an environment full criminals and staffed by people with a shocking propensity for sadism "

What have facts got to do with what started this all off?

You made a bland assertion based on hearsay for which you have provided no supporting evidence. Instead, others are forced to do research to refute your outrageous claim. Is this a new debating style?

I take you didn't see the rather appalling report into Feltham YOI then, SWL, which found that not only was there a hard core of racism amongst the prison staff but they had been frequently known to organise 'gladiatorial' style combats between inmates.

This of course led to the death of a young pakistani who was locked in a cell with a known sociapath with BNP sympathies.

I'll tell you the same thing from a different angle, within the same system. There is a well known saying principle amongst all other parties in the CJS - 'Don't talk to the screws'.

Why don't you talk to the screws? Because they all b*st*rds and can't be trusted.

Anybody can make presumptions about any field.

CPS? Criminal Protection Service?

There, that wasn't difficult was it and I don't need to provide evidence to back it up. Isn't this refreshing. A new style of debate.

Thing is I wasnt making a PREsumption.

It is my conclusion (and you may not agree with it and dont have to) that given what prison officers have told me they as a profession have a shocking propensity for sadism.

Im luciky enough not to have been to prison, but of the people who have who I know they dont tend to tell me about prison brutality. They do tell me more about the boredom the anguish of being away from your family and the problems of being in close proximity to inmates who hold a grudge against you.

The ones who tell me tales of violence with a sickening glee are hte people who run the prisons not those who are their guests.

Now you are very welcome if you wish to show that my ASSUMPMTIONS are wrong. If you do so I'll fully recant my opinon and apologise to all those offended or confused.

The ball is in your court SWL.

As to your bold assertion that the CPS are in the business of protecting criminals can you tell me how a body that sanctions the prosecution of criminals actually protects them?

one love

Oh come now, Blicky. That's just SWL being blinkered. Nothing to worry about.

And the point he misses is that i don't make presumptions either, but I can use my eyes and ears to observe the way screws used to behave in court, and what others (mostly members of the police) tell me they have witnessed with their own eyes.

I note, however whn presented with the 'proof' he was asking for - the report into Feltham YOI, he goes very quiet indeed.

No Blues, he doesn't go very quiet indeed, he goes to work

I don't have to back up the CPS dig as that seems to be the fashion nowadays - never mind the evidence when stereotypes fit the bill.

Yes, I read up on Feltham after your post and yes, it is disturbing but I do not presume to make this indicative of all, or even the majority of prison officers. To pigeon-hole all prison officers as sadists is as wrong as saying the CPS is biased towards criminals and all coppers are b*st**ds.

Getting back to the original premise, why would a sadist encourage a suicide? Wouldn't a sadist derive greater pleasure out of prolonging misery? In which case, maybe we should employ sadists to supervise suicidal prisoners.

Who said sadists have to be rational?