Peter Hitchens criticises criminal system: 'Prisons have become pointless warehouses'

[@stuartsteel1]

The population has changed drastically now.

[@chucks6781]

Yes immigrants by the thousand every week

[@martincahill8421]

As a Cop who spent 20yrs working in the UK and 15yrs in NZ, I agree 100% with what has been said by Hitchens, the drive to excuse disgusting behaviour as the fault of society has progressively emboldened criminals. It always amused me that so-called experts made the assumption that such people knew no better, on the contrary, most such people I’m aware of chose the life they lead, are living the life of Riley, and see such socialist ideals merely as weakness to be exploited.. never see one speaking for himself in court or actually doing anything positive to repair the harm done… they just hide behind lawyers. More of this topic needs to be discussed and needs to be de-politicised, get rid of crime commissioners!!

[@redskyatnight123]

Exactly the same with illegal immigration

[@michaelgriffiths5723]

The problem is the police. They are unworthy of respect

[@gelbsucht947]

Yes, their lawyers invariably speak of how their clients‘ remorse and how they have ‚turned their lives around‘ with absolutely no evidence to support such claims.

[@WayneLynch69]

In the U.S. there is a permanent prison population which victimizes other inmates. A culture of 24/7 horror for those so often referred to as redeemable. Only age (35y/o) has been shown to bring about rehabilitation. In the absence of that, society deserves protection/separation from the violent criminal.

[@martincooke4837]

Therefore the police and the whole Judicial system are Guilty of Aiding and Abetting Criminals 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮 We the public pay them to do this 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮 Anarchy has become the law, Britain has the highest crime rate in all of Europe intellectuals call this Progress.

[@lapamful]

At long last, they've found a more appropriate spot on GBN for Peter to share his opinions.

[@lapamful]

@@sagat24 it's the Colin Brazier show

[@johng1634]

Was he previously in an inappropriate spot on GB News?

[@lapamful]

@@johng1634 No he wasn't, I just wrote the above for no reason whatsoever...

[@johng1634]

@@lapamful the way you phrased it "a more appropriate spot" sounds like he was previously in a less appropriate spot

[@lapamful]

@@johng1634 No, the way you're taking the implication sounds like that.

[@TheNobbynoonar]

Thank you GB News for giving Mr Hitchens air time. He seems to be ‘persona non grata’ by much of the MSM. He’s always well researched on his chosen topics (I think it was called journalism in the old days) and always gives an alternative view on current affairs and social issues. I understand that his views are contrary to many in the MSM-all the more reason to let him speak. I know that it’s probably never going to happen but it would be to GBN’s credit if they could give Mr Hitchens a regular slot on your channel. BTW, more thought provoking stuff from Mr Hitchens-thank you GB news.

[@officialdazer]

Peter Hitchens thinks that weed smokers should be locked up in jail and are drug addicts

[@oliverkiddell1751]

He writes for the Mail. If that’s not MSM, what is?

[@joprocter4573]

After disgusting ego of piers Morgan whose not fit to communicate with a groundsman academic. Peter is amazing. Reminds of the American guy

[@joprocter4573]

​@@oliverkiddell1751 middle of way news. Not over posh or illeterate

[@oliverkiddell1751]

@@joprocter4573 Or in other words, mainstream.

[@PhilipMarcYT]

The justice system is beyond broken. If the U.K. had a real conservative government things would be seriously different.

[@rayvinloony2322]

The labour party are the reason we are witnessing migrants in huge numbers, Blair opened the gates and being married to a barrister meant £s For every 2 steps forward the government move, labour pull them back. We should all be united in protecting our country, but there are traitors in all camps, and fools who support them.

[@jacquelineloaring2438]

Your spot on there Philip

[@seanmoran2743]

Needs a Conservative majority population though.

[@SwissCheese112]

Society is broken because God is not present anymore

[@SwissCheese112]

@@seanmoran2743 you mean Christian

[@rebeccamondloch4265]

Bring back capital punishment

[@biddlelove2135]

@Johnnie W do you have any examples of people who have gone on to commit crime after capital punishment?

[@JangianTV]

@@biddlelove2135 Brilliant! 🤣🤣

[@PasajeroDelToro]

@Johnnie WNot much for others, but it certainly puts an end to the crimes of the offender in question!

[@richardlewis7498]

@Johnnie W they never reoffend

[@meredithisme3752]

@Johnnie W it's not a deterrence it's to remove them from society so they don't reoffend

[@Monkey80llx]

Brilliantly wise, insightful and beautifully eloquent human being saying out loud what SO many people feel

[@jockster5525]

Deport deport deport deport deport deport deport deport

[@MrrMuyaagi]

To where?

[@ca9968]

@@MrrMuyaagi Back from where they came from...a quick DNA test will reveal where they need to be returned to...

[@markgibbins4143]

Deport

[@MrrMuyaagi]

@@ca9968 What if they are from Britain?

[@ca9968]

@@MrrMuyaagi then the rope would be a great option! Here`s a novel idea though, if they are let`s say "of Jamaican heritage" then when they commit their 3rd offence, we deport them and their whole family, from eldest to youngest back to Jamaica...that may just make them start paying more attention as to how they raise their children...

[@ianhunter2374]

I agree with every word he said

[@leskerr9446]

Prisons must become a deterrent again!

[@ianhunter2374]

@@leskerr9446 unfortunately they are a breading ground for jihadis and men pretending to be women

[@unpopularopinionedpariah6102]

@@leskerr9446 have you been?

[@adambritain5774]

As usual, when it comes to social, historical and political commentary Hitchens is bang on the money.

[@B123-s4j]

Import a different population, get different crimes..

[@MrrMuyaagi]

What “different crimes” are you referring to?

[@Wizard31601]

@@MrrMuyaagi stabbings, muggins, child grooming. These crimes were rare in this country before mass immigration

[@MrrMuyaagi]

@@Wizard31601 child grooming was rare? Have you never heard of the Christian church?

[@Wizard31601]

@@MrrMuyaagi Yes I'm aware of that but it wasn't endemic accross our society like it is in Islamic countries. The victorians increased the age of consent to 16 to protect children, almost 200 years ago. Men from Islamic cultures don't respect this rule & they see nothing wrong with sleeping with girls.

[@B123-s4j]

@@MrrMuyaagi FGM.

[@Robaylesbury]

On so many levels he is correct. However, as somebody who works in law and order, so much of our time is spent dealing with people with mental health issues and in crisis. Missing local authority children from care homes and domestic disputes. Officers can get bogged down with these for hours. On his broader point PH is spot on.

[@brianboyle2681]

A direct consequence of the breakdown in families and associated values.

[@JaneA544]

Also turning up to offended feelings non hate crimes and dancing and parading at pride which is a disgrace

[@Robaylesbury]

@@JaneA544 Yep. That needs to end. I'm extremely vocal about this.

[@trodd77]

And criminals who pretend that they have mental illnesses

[@billyblynde]

Mental health is no excuse for committing crime!

[@tonyluxton3726]

As usual Peters bang on with this. Let’s build more prisons and no parole

[@SwissCheese112]

Not really. Listen to what he is actually saying. Clearly you haven’t

[@SagaciousFrank]

Like building more roads, they'll just get filled because if useless liberal policies which don't deter.

[@bighands69]

When they build more prisons it should be one prisoner per cell and no common areas. Others it is just a community similar to the street. If these basic measures are carried out they would not be so keen to go back in. Six months and most of those guys would fold.

[@SagaciousFrank]

@@bighands69 , not a bad idea, in theory. In practice, it is impossible to execute. Besides which, our liberal class wouldn't even allow going back to ordered communal prisons, let alone ones which enforce solitary confinement on all inmates.

[@bighands69]

@@SagaciousFrank Solitary confinement is a made up term that needs to be challenged. Until there is a political will none of this will change. The only way the prisons can be reformed would be that communal areas have to be removed. I do not think there is actually any sort of political opposition in the population to any of this just the media political cycle.

[@stoke101]

If only we could have a Prime minister like him. He speaks absolute truth. For anyone who hasn’t read the abolition of Britain, it’s highly recommended.

[@masoodahmed2041]

Peter is right these criminals should be made to do hard labour yes there will be the occasional 17 year old who did something foolish and needs a path of social rehabilitation however career criminals are making society worse for all and they need to pay by doing hard and difficult labour so that they can tell their friends stay away!!!

[@truckerfromreno]

Spot on.

[@bighands69]

No they most certainly should not be doing labour. Prison is very easy and I will spell it out. No common areas, one prisoner per cell, prison education training and if they are on a long sentence and do all of that right then they get to qualify for labor but one mis behavior through that whole process and they lose the right of labor. The sentence system for minor crimes needs to be shorter such as six months for burglary, maybe a couple of attempts with shoplifting but when they are sent to the prison they most certainly should be facing a proper sentence. People who commit violent assault should be facing 10 to 20 year sentences.

[@anthonyspinks2640]

Hitchens once again saying what we are all thinking

[@berniefynn6623]

Prison is for time out from society, NOTHING ELSE.

[@TheNames-4D]

Spot on!

[@rightwithya1]

Ironically our local bobby was called P.C. English when I was a kid, he'd kick a ball about with us and bollock us if we didn't behave, good times lol. I'll tell you about a heatwave.............

[@truckerfromreno]

Sugar butties.

[@wishingwell12345]

We need to lose the idea that humans are basically good and only do bad stuff when they're helpless victims of bad circumstances.

[@nemosays6337]

There is no accountability or punishment or consequences for anyone except the poor though, the rich never get punished they get promoted up not down and certainly not out; it's sickening the state of society and all at the hands of those most removed and cushioned from it! js

[@bighands69]

Except the poor? The streets are full of poor criminals who are not serving when they should be. There are poor people out there walking the streets with a hundred convictions.

[@nemosays6337]

@@bighands69 - Yup and there are extremely rich psychopaths in the world too, what's your point?

[@bighands69]

@@nemosays6337 So it is not just the poor that are punished?

[@nemosays6337]

@@bighands69 - If you're honest you'll admit that it's 99% poor punished in comparison to 1% elites, in fact can you name an elite who is currently doing time who isn't on a sweetheart deal and there the trail of crimes ends even though everybody knows there are more who should have to face justice! js

[@bighands69]

@@nemosays6337 There are poor people walking the streets with hundreds of convictions and sometime violent convictions.

[@ca9968]

When you get a TV and Playstation in your cell and you can get games from the prison library there is little reason not to commit crime in Britain...it sounds better than my flat...

[@ca9968]

@Johnnie W Awwwww...shame...poor Nu Nu criminals...YOU Sir, are the root of the problem! It`s attitudes like yours that have led Britain to be the laughing stock of the world at the moment! Soft Touch Britain...created by soft men...

[@biddlelove2135]

@Johnnie W Ha ha! Just seen your don't pay comment, I knew it, your a tramp who wants things for free! Made my day that has.🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@richardlewis7498]

we need to get our prisoners out the cells get them picking veggies etc in return they get time off their sentence so its up to them wether they want to do it or not

[@bighands69]

The only way prison will become unpopular again would be if there was no common areas and one prisoner per cell. And the only item they would be allowed in prison would be a prison allotted education book. They would get to partake in education an education and reform program and if they do not want to the walls will become their friends.

[@honestbarsteward]

I’ve got allot of time for Mr Hitchens.

[@tennysonfordblackbird2087]

Really enjoyable debate and things could change if our politicians had courage and weren't all careerists.

[@Rob-zx8lm]

Peter Hitchens talks so much sense, with history & real knowledge supporting his output.

[@pizzaman122]

You are soooooo right brother👊🏿

[@goodyeoman4534]

You'd think given the fact that we've nearly all been the victim of violent crime that the tide would turn against the flawed idea of 'rehabilitation' and we could get back to the proper idea of crime and punishment.

[@bighands69]

British media are too powerful and dictate the issues. The fact that Boris curtains were a thing shows what the priority of the media is.

[@trodd77]

You get fed better in prison than living outside working your ass off.

[@madfrankie-p9q]

Bang on. So true.

[@someonewhoisnotretarded3708]

I live in Canada, a place where the police place great emphasis on preventive ("pro-active") policing. This coupled with militarization, zero tolerance and a sharp political turn to the left has created a situation where criminals are _purposefully_ let go and replaced by law-abiding citizens. Normal, average people are essentially framed to pad the numbers. Why solve a murder when you can book five 'hate speakers' or ten 'domestic abusers'? Look at a place like Toronto: the downtown financial district is crawling with cops, while a west-end ghetto (75% of all murders) has virtually no police presence. This is not incompetence but a deliberate pattern of behavior and has been going on since the 1970s. Canadian police are not lacking in manpower or training; if anything, they are too powerful. The law allows them to do things that would be considered gross overreach anywhere else. But they do not make laws, they enforce them. The real problem lies in the government that is led by a small and loud special interest group of progressives who want to run the society like a laboratory experiment. To reverse the trend you would need right-of-centre parties and politicians, and they do not exist. But the worst part lies in the complacency of the general population. Canadianness is a strange mix of domestic individualism and an inferiority complex internationally. Your average Canadian will write Twitter hashtags about Ukraine or Taiwan like it's his job, but views person-to-person peer pressure as invasive. He might not be delusional, but he will pretend to be because there is no outlet for his dissent. This is the reason why this country has become the virtue signaling capital of the world, and is also similar to how Ireland collapsed culturally in a matter of a few years. It would take a complete change in attitude to reject the lunacy of the left. In essence, Canadians would have to either: - go back to being isolated from the rest of the world, or - stop being Canadian, lose their pretentious smugness and employ methods that they might not be familiar or comfortable with.

[@Trevski2001]

Thanks for that perspective. I'm from the UK and have a romantic notion that Canada was, to a large extent at least, immune to the madness that affects much of the rest of the world, despite worrying signals being sent out from Trudeau Junior.

[@therespectedlex9794]

You think domestic abuse isn't a crime? It can ruin a person's life.

[@someonewhoisnotretarded3708]

@@therespectedlex9794 It is no different from any other type of assault.

[@therespectedlex9794]

@@someonewhoisnotretarded3708 So assault isn't serious? Actually domestic abuse covers a range of other things such as financial abuse, coercive control, mental and emotional abuse.

[@petergouvignon8048]

they react in great numbers when the governments narrative is challenged

[@redjacc7581]

the police are no different to the paramedics, they arrive after all the damage has been done, but that is the job of the paramedics, it's the job of the police to prevent this.

[@smithswoodrookie]

Hitchens should be a national treasure. He’s fountain of wisdom and endless common sense. I wish he had more power to effect change.

[@Waywind420]

Peter is one of the greats

[@stuartmenziesfarrant]

I work in UK prisons and I can tell you Peter is 100% right. There are too many people making excuses for poor behaviour and not having the backbone to challenge it.

[@etienneprinsloo6799]

Peter Hitchens is one of the greatest philosophers of our time. I am so thankful that we still have the opportunity to hear his wisdom (for now).

[@seansmith445]

He just talks common sense. You don't need to be a great philosopher to do that.

[@bertiescunsbutch9323]

That's what all the lefties say.

[@sebastianbooth5659]

@@ZerkosXD Prowess such as the iraq war? wow so intelligent... Or his thesis that science and religion were antagonistic towards each other, that religions offered a literal explanation as to how the the earth came into being. In fact Thomas Aquinas had stated that how the earth was created was NOT a matter for religion, it was that it existed and how we should therefore act within it. People need to stop being so seduced by Christophers smooth talking, please think about what he was actually saying, take on different points of view including Peters. Otherwise you are being intellectually lazy.

[@sebastianbooth5659]

You support his brother so much tell me why? you said his prowess was so much greater..i merely gave an answer. How about giving a rebuttal instead of an evasion? Whats annoying is people like you brown nose his brother yet can't argue about what he actually said. If Christopher had some alternative to crime policy that you think is so superior to Peters, lets hear it.

[@sebastianbooth5659]

@@ZerkosXD On Iraq I think Peter has been proved totally right. Peter wasn't that great on the God argument on that occasion sadly. Peter himself has admitted it was not good. Read his book ' The Rage against God' its a much better rebuttal. Also, as an aside, David Bentley Hart 'Atheist Delusions' well worth reading. The fact that one is religious and the other isn't does not make one more intellectual than the other. 'It was never an IQ question' as Christopher has pointed out. Personally, I like both the Hitchens brothers and who cares if they don't agree - it actually makes it more interesting

[@jeffsparey9585]

The short Sharpe shock system of the detention centres is the right route to go back to

[@no-oneman.4140]

To say that back in the 30's people were better behaved because they were god fearing is utter garbage. So those of us who don't believe in fairy tales have no morals. His brother would rightly argue this point repeatedly. The prisons are full so the police must be doing something. Prisons do work on one level and that is they give law abiding people some respite from criminals. If there was a better way some country somewhere would be doing it. I do agree that prevention is better than cure. I'm sure we all knew those at school who were trouble and inevitably end up within the criminal justice system. The money spent to intervene would be far less than what happens when you don't.

[@bighands69]

Modern prisons have a common area were the perps get to act out their street thug nonsense. Get rid of the common areas and one prisoner per cell and the whole vibe will change.

[@scottrogers7917]

Brilliant spot on

[@propheticwitness8624]

Mr Hitchens is spot on,once again....

[@barriewilliams4526]

So very true! Get them out of their cars & from behind their desks & out on the streets where they can be seen & interact with the public. The "firefighting" approach to policing is absolutely useless!!

[@leskerr9446]

But you have to admit that they do it with style in Jaguars, BMWs, Volvos etc. In the old days they drove around in Hillman Imps and Ford Anglias or went on bikes.

[@barriewilliams4526]

@@leskerr9446 Yes, and air-conditioned too!

[@JohnR22926]

Animals belong in cages, not on the streets. I have zero sympathy for violent criminals. I know some of them personally. Zero sympathy.

[@njoyingtube1]

Current policing procedure is not fit for purpose. They are preoccupied with their own safety , project an attitude of utter contempt for civilians , and a complete disregard for following the laws they purport to enforce , or cost of wrongful arrest ESPECIALLY THE NEW VARIANT .

[@biddlelove2135]

Anyone with half a brain knew this thirty years ago!

[@michellea9857]

Give the people a referendum on the death penalty

[@user-xw7lo4ti6l]

Under this government it's unlikely.

[@gelbsucht947]

@Johnnie W the death penalty was only ever used as a penalty for murder and i can’t imagine that anybody would wish to see it extended as a punishment for other crimes. In addition, it was always used very judiciously. The idea that it would be an automatic response to murder convictions is nonsense. Extenuate circumstances could still be taken into account.

[@gelbsucht947]

@Johnnie W yes, on the understanding that the death penalty would be replaced by life imprisonment. In the intervening years, a life sentence has come to mean ten years max, and sadly, since 1965 over 200 people have been murdered by individuals who had already served one term for murder. So as to the inevitable objection to the death penalty, that it might lead to innocent people being executed, as it did in the cases of Timothy Evans and Derek Bentley, its abolition has already led to innocent people being executed, whose lives might have been saved by its retention. 200% more, in fact. Better that innocent people die at the hands of convicted murderers than at the hand of the state, eh?

[@gelbsucht947]

@Johnnie W so you wouldn’t be against the death penalty per se if you could be 100% certain that the accused were guilty? I‘m not confident in drug dealers and gangster using the death penalty responsibly but they don’t trouble themselves about my opinion and use it anyway.

[@gelbsucht947]

@Joey Dennis my point, since I obviously didn’t make it clearly enough, is that contrary to what anti-death penalty campaigners invariably claim, the death penalty, along with most other forms of violence, has a deterrent effect. This is readily understood by criminals, who do not hesitate to use extreme violence in their dealings with one another or with third parties, in order to intimidate, deter or otherwise intimidate. Of course we expect higher standards of the state than we do of a bunch of thugs and gangsters but the state is naive in pretending that state violence isn’t every bit as effective as any other form of violence and that criminals, as well as the law-abiding, are perfectly capable of performing a cost-benefit analysis. In the days when you could be hung for being an accessory to murder, bank robbers would search each other for weapons before they embarked on their enterprise. They policed their own criminality, if you like, and their own fear of death prevented the deaths of others. Now they have no need to fear death, they can afford to be blasé about the lives of others.

[@KM-pq7jk]

Crime is crime, social conditions is an excuse. The problem is that courts are not handing severe enough sentences.

[@Tony-ol4bt]

Well said Sir

[@paulvic8592]

I was beginning to think i was alone in feeling the same way. Could not agree more with Peter H more on this, it is criminal (no pun) that this has been allowed to get to this stage and particularly to allow it to continue under (so called) Conservative Govt. Thank you Peter..

[@insanelyinsensitive4059]

Shoplifting is out of control.Its not even a crime these days.People who know the system just walk in the store, convenience stores,fill their bag and just walk out.Staff quite rightly don't get involved and as long as it's under £200 worth the police are not interested. They do it again and again it's ridiculous.

[@bighands69]

Shoplifting should be a sort of three strike rule were there are given opportunities to reform out in the community but they only get three chances at most. After that it should be prison time.

[@insanelyinsensitive4059]

@@bighands69 yep.Also travellers who obviously move around blatantly walk in grab all the beer, steak and other things and calmly with a smirk walk out they know that nothing will be done.

[@rightfuljohnny]

Crime does pay, just look at our Government.

[@jamestuck6764]

I can remember an ex police officer relative saying pretty much exactly the same thing. He was commenting on the removal of beat bobbies and placing them all in patrol cars at the time, ironic as he himself ended up as a driver in the flying squad. But in those days all police started on the beat and worked their way up and there was no fast track for graduates etc, no replacement for experience on the street. No training course can educate you on what the multi faceted melting pot called the human race can produce out of seemingly mundane situations. I remember an interview piece with the creators of one of the US crime scene dramas and they used to follow the police and CSI people around to get ideas and context. They said they often came across quite unbelievable crimes and situations that they could never include in the programme simply because no sane person would watch it on tv and take it seriously. Yet it happened in real life in their town.

[@robertchubb1518]

Cannot agree more...

[@alexedwards6509]

Are there too many female cops? In New York a violent thug attacked a cop and repeatedly punched him in the face. The cop eventually got control but it was a close thing. The cops partner was female. She didn't get involved because she could have been hurt. If two male cops were working together it would have been over in a minute. If you are a British cop and you see a group of youths up to no good, how likely are you to intervene if your partner is a 110 pound woman?

[@bighands69]

If women police want to be front line they need to be able to get involved and should have basic standards on that. A strong male officer and a female officer who is strong could take down a perp.

[@choppercam01]

Want to know what goes on in jail just search youtube. They record thier crap, while in jail then upload it. Its a holiday camp there now, tvs, game consoles in your cell..... not like when I was in 20yrs ago you only had a bed, kettle, small TV (on certain landings ie works) that's it.

[@Music5362]

I never understood the concept of warehousing people for a period of time and then letting them go. If punishment is what's required, then punish and then let them go.

[@chatham43]

......instead of 5years in relative luxury.....3 month's of extreme austerity......bread and soup....no phones...no visits...chain gangs...and guaranteed they wouldn't want to return....and also the taxpayer wins....

[@joprocter4573]

Peter perfect answer. Our prisons should be smaller for only those who are danger to others

[@Ste2023]

Prisons ... warehouse for Useless Dangerous Men .

[@stevehughes1510]

You poor folk in Brit, what a mess!!

[@garrysimmons301]

Love Peter, don’t agree with everything he says but,he has a grasp on society. If we were steared by this kind of moral and common sense standard the world would be a better place.

[@SoSarchastic]

I admire Peter Hitchens’ arguments on this - but by and large, it makes more sense to empower individuals with rights of self defence than try to reform something that has proven unreformable

[@moriwaki1105]

Prisons should be Hard Labour like Cool Hand Luke....and very few would EVER go back.

[@therespectedlex9794]

Are you serious? You wouldn't go to prison if you do that thing you'll probably never do? It's still a place that can take a long time to get out of, and be rather unpleasant if you're not used to it.

[@Urge38]

No point commenting This country is beyond repair in so many ways

[@todbob6229]

So true Peter, so true.

[@v3numgough465]

‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing .’ ..(Quote Edmund Burke)

[@bcatcool]

Yes. Just discussing this with my wife ...... evil exists! Once you deny this then you just end up with what we have today. There is NO WRONG! Really?

[@oldskoolrools1353]

low risk prisoners should be out on the streets picking up litter or other menial work that councils no longer have funds to pay people to do

[@cannz9134]

Peter is right ✅

[@christopherbyron8185]

There reason police cannot patrol the streets as much as they used to is because police have to deal with domestic violence calls, mental health jobs and have to report anything which is criminal in any remote form. Firstly if police go to a domestic incident which is just a verbal argument between two people, police must record that something has happened which takes about 45 minutes to write up in a report and these reports can only be done at stations on police secure computers. Secondly, police have to watch people who have been admitted to hospital with mental health issues and have shown signs of aggression. Police officers who are crewed together may spend an entire shift watching a single person so they cannot be out on the street. Thirdly, police in many forces carry an investigation workload which means they need to investigate the crimes they have attended which means they have to be inside stations taking statements and obtaining CCTV etc. All of which takes a lot of time and must be done for almost any criminal incident a police officer attends. There are simply not enough police to cope with the amount of calls that police receive ans have to investigate.

[@Martin-88]

Plenty of time to deal with thought crimes and dance at Pride though.

[@darrenmaclaren5352]

@@Martin-88 you can stick with reading the Daily Mail, or actually listen to what individual officers are telling you about their job. Up to you.

[@Martin-88]

@@darrenmaclaren5352 They can say whatever they like. The fact they have time to waste on 'non-crime' hate incidents and LGBT events shows they have time to police actual crime if they could be bothered.

[@annapachaclarke2392]

@@darrenmaclaren5352 What person who views a factual channel as this, where the complex and real issues regarding crime are discussed, is going to be reading crap simplistic soundbites in a dumb rag publication! Fact is, police have wasted time questioning people about certain un PC speech. Actual crime solving does not seem to be top of their duties anymore!

[@magicdinsmore3107]

I think there is a bigger problem that we need to start with before we work on jails and prisons. There are just too many laws. In America we have federal, state, & local laws compounded with unconstitutional rules set up by various agencies like the IRS, ATF, FBI, EPA, etc. There are millions of laws and rules (no exaggeration) that make it impossible to follow, with more laws being created daily. These laws are like currency, the more you make the less valuable the proceeding law becomes. Then the next political party takes power and reverses the law based on ideology and prosecutes based on the flipping of thought. We really need to get rid of about 90% of the laws and focus on the ones we can all agree on; homicide, rape, battery, child abuse, robbery, etc.

[@annapachaclarke2392]

So true. It's crazy!

[@spartybrearly7221]

I disagree with Peter Hitchens’ views on the Union but he is absolutely right on many issues.

[@SagaciousFrank]

Of course all crime is caused by monetary poverty. If only we could ask the late Doctor Harold Shipman. Oh wait.

[@markwb0]

275,000 police covering the UK. Who are there to protect the government.

[@pemj7360]

We need proper boot camps not a holiday camp .

[@dwaynehicks3867]

If crime is only bc you're poor, why do rich people commit crime? If you let people act like animals, they will become animals.

[@themanftheworld8439]

Bring back THE BIRCH.

[@sticksman1979]

Read Peter Hitchens and Theodore Dalrymple on this topic.

[@andynjw1163]

True

[@gadget348]

Someone on the radio put it very succinctly decade's ago, "How do you expect somebody to behave as if there is a deterrent, when there isn't one".

[@robertjsmith]

Banging people up mainly the poor,is big Business in America

[@christopherhitchens163]

It’s called the war on drugs. The war on drugs has led to criminals having control of illicit markets, which has led to an extreme escalation of violent crime. That does not even account for the extreme violence in Latin America

[@jimmajamma2006]

Prisons need more money. Prisoners need rehabilitation. He is totally wrong to target drugs.. The war on drugs is pointless. It runs complete counter to what has been shown to work in Portugal. Peter belongs in the 1930's quite often.

[@stewheart]

I have a lot of respect for the police, but seeing vans full of them, staring at their phones rather than observing reality is ... disappointing

[@davidwoodford6894]

Well said it's the pathetic politicians don't understand what's happening. It they don't care

[@tezfitz7863]

Great intake on our failed policies

[@robertjsmith]

we want the separation of church and state

[@acm1137]

Come to Scotland, where the Nationalist government have an active policy of dealing with crime "in the community" and with "alternatives to prison". Look around any Scottish town or city and see the results.

[@stephenholmes1036]

Peter talking commonsense again.

[@jackpatplod174]

Did my thirty from ‘81 to 2011…. Semi-rural force. It was like “Heartbeat” when I joined and like “RoboCop” when I left. I railed against it from within when I could, but what influence could a lowly Sgt have on policy? I would be sacked within a week nowadays as I would refuse to send out any of my shift to report or arrest someone for causing some snowflakes hurt feelings, or having mis-gendered someone or to “check someone’s thinking”. Modern officers have forgotten, or never learned, that Senior Officers can tell you WHERE to patrol or beat but they cannot tell you HOW to police. All officers hold the same office - that of constable - and each is solely responsible for the exercise of their powers. Regarding closing of police stations - same goes for Magistrates Courts - We used to have a dozen or more in our County - now three.

[@gregmoore167]

It costs a fortune, and it is meant to be punishment and rehabilitation after all, so let's make them work; like a simple factory system and they do 8 hours a day! A prison system run this way should be able to pay for itself, or even make a profit! A profit should be the goal so that criminals can repay society with their hard work! If u want more punishment then make them do 12 hours a day 6 days a week! Surely physics dictates that this is possible and will relieve the burden on the tax payer, and help reform a large percentage of prisoners!

[@jamesclarke2789]

What do you suggest that they produce?

[@boshirahmed]

@@jamesclarke2789 crime handbooks..

[@jamesclarke2789]

@@boshirahmed How is that going to make a profit and allow for the prisons to pay for themselves?

[@boshirahmed]

@Joey Dennis not Japan..

[@louisd100]

I think that if a prisoner is young and shows signs of rehabilitation, they should be put in service in the armed forces.

[@Afghan31]

Ban alcohol too

[@mattbristo6933]

I really regret having children. The country is on a downward spiral and is beyond repair.

[@Timbex2005]

The UK reoffending rate is around 60% Check out Norway prisons,the reoffending rates are about 20%

[@christinaedwards5084]

Now have a look at the diversity breakdown of these two places. Non natives are the problem

[@meredithisme3752]

Grow a spine bring back the death penalty, crime is a choice nothing to do with poor or rich, no consequences is why there is crime

[@meredithisme3752]

@Johnnie W no because they don't carry it out they die of old age, while that money to incarcerate murderers would be better spent on child poverty no vermin

[@trevormcdonald385]

The U.K. doesn’t have a liberal Approach

[@veganlolo]

Peter possesses more common sense than the entire government.

[@roberthuismans3533]

I lived in London for 2 years in the 90s, I honestly met more terrifying people in places like Hackney and other places at night than I have in my whole life in South Africa.

[@meredithisme3752]

I agree as a tourist I've been warned don't go to UK

[@samain11]

@@meredithisme3752 Don't go to Khan's London maybe, please don't talk shit about all of the UK, a startling number of people are desperate to get here for some reason.

[@gelbsucht947]

My great grandparents were both alcoholics and were prosecuted for child neglect by the then recently formed NSPCC. I know this only from a very old newspaper article, which described the appalling conditions in which their ten children, including my grandfather, were living. The family landed up on more than one occasion in Watford workhouse. The social stigma which attached to the workhouse followed them all their lives. None of them was ever convicted of a crime, despite living on the threshold of starvation throughout their childhood, as it was well before the creation of the welfare state. My grandfather, who was illiterate, became a deacon of his local church. The children were born into immense disadvantage but lived honest lives.