Sentence examples for prison should be from inspiring English sources

In evidence to a Commons select committee, he declared it "unsatisfactory, to say the least, that the length of a prisoner's stay in prison should be determined, or partially determined, behind the scenes by someone who has not heard any representation by, or on behalf of, the prisoner, on grounds the prisoner does not know".

The purpose of every prison should be that each prisoner they release is less likely to commit offences than when they went in.

The report concludes: "Prisoners engaged in real work in prison should be receiving a fair wage for the work done".

Now, Maher is on the right side here -- he believes the prison should be closed and the prisoners given trials -- but for the wrong reason.

"I think prison should be abolished".

Others say prison should be seen as a scarce commodity.

"Prison should be cruel," he insists, brushing aside suggestions that rehabilitation might be better.

How typical of Cameron that he bravely and admirably breaks a taboo by insisting that the approach to prisoners must change, but does not fully address the issues of how prisons should be organised and resourced.

One of the Woolf recommendations was that prisons should be small – no more than 400 places.

"I'm not saying that prisons should be luxurious experiences, but they should be decent," he said.

Some of the money saved from closing prisons should be reinvested in the programs so we can ensure that these trends, in public safety and savings, continue.