Category Archives: Prison

PORRIDGE.

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One of the BBC’s favourite themes is that no one should go to prison (apart perhaps from those who won’t recycle or those who drive “gas guzzlers) and so one can imagine the delight with which they have welcomed the news that the liberal lobbying group NACRO is bidding to actually run two prisons. On the Today programme this morning the main BBC concern was that NACRO’s bid was in conjunction with a private security company and we all know that the private sector can’t really be trusted, right? There was no examination of the liberal NACRO agenda and how this relates to public concerns that prison regimes are already far too soft. It strikes me that the BBC keeps running stories themed around the thesis that the UK needs fewer prisons and less prisoners and those that we do retain should have liberalised regimes to help the convicts feel better about themselves.

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TWO SIDES SAME STORY.

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I always enjoy the BBC’s idea of balance on key issues, don’t you? For example this morning on the BBC1 TV news programme there was an item on a matter of great concern for the nation – namely the price paid by convicts to make a phone call from prison. Yes, I know that you, like me, will be very worried at the way in which big business is ripping off our gallant prisoners by making them pay a higher rate for making calls from jail than the rate we all pay when making calls from our homes. In the studio to “debate” the issue was a bleeding heart from the Prison Reform Trust who was very upset that prisoners were having to pay higher call rates. To balance this the BBC had invited – yes, you’ve guessed it – a former convict who was equally concerned at the call rate prisoners had to pay. Two versions of the same liberal whinge – and all indulged by the BBC. Fair and balanced?

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