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

CRIMINALS should no longer be termed “offenders” because the term is insulting and demeaning, a leading justice campaigner said yesterday.

Frances Crook, head of the Howard League for Penal Reform, has suggested that someone who commits an offence is not an offender, but “someone who has done something”.

(Daily Express online - today, 8th December)

More political correctness to drive us insane.

a few swipes with a rattan cane or time in the town stocks could be a nice deterrent for re-offending

court of human rights 100% biased towards "offenders"

Common sense died a long time ago. It seems PC gone mad is particularly bad in the UK.

I would rather sit on offense with this one.

Seriously, "someone who has done something" means "achiever" to me. If the someone has done a lot of somethings, that would mean high achiever. Should we put *all* achievers in prisons? Can you see why this whole thing is a reductio ad absurdum?

On the other hand, I can think of several "high achievers" (can you spell "The Apprentice?") whose incarceration would give me great peace of mind. Actually, dear Martha S. already *has* spent some time behind bars, and she came out as nice as pie. Donald T. would need to take his toupee with him, as I fear that it could be dangerous if left unsupervised .

As far as i am concerned,they are still offenders,the person who did something,in fact,robbed my home,that offended me greatly!
As for Donald T's toupee,just give it a saucer of milk,

...reminds me of moments back in the late '60s & early '70s when 'equal rights for criminals' was the height (or depth) of sarcasm. Just goes to show you that no matter how idiotic or absurd a proposition may be, there's always someone idiotic enough to embrace it, probably someone who can't handle inflectional English or the equivalent. ...

Maybe we should call 'offenders' 'politicians'.

Hardly a year foes by that we don't have at least one elected official who goes to jail for corruption of one sort or another.

well i cant call them 'cons' because i work on a remand wing and not all of them are convicted,

why not go down the judge dredd rout and call them 'Perps' short for perpetrators

That's a great idea, Taff!

Perps can't be right, as some of them imprisoned on remand are innocent, in fact they're all innocent until proven guilty.

I'm going to suggest something really radical - why not call them 'prisoners'?

'Offenders' is fine also, especially for those found guilty and not in fact in prison (under community orders, having paid fines etc). Let's not give in to this terminally stupid officious woman.

Jabs

Jabs . .. ... I'll drink that. . .. ... ........ .......... ............. ....... ... .... . . .. ...

When I wan young (and innocent) someone came to stay at my parents house from 'the Howard League for Penal Reform'. He was (even to my young eyes) a complete (well the word would get removed by Auntie's spooks), but you can guess, and I wasn't quite sure what the word 'penal' meant.
Of course, I do now ......... or do I?

Prisoners would work fine, Jabs.