Prison or not?

[All uphill]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-67589269

Tldr: Police Officer illegally shares photos with family and friends, leaves the force and is told to expect to be locked up. A familiar story.

Prison costs taxpayers £47k per year.
While inside he is unlikely to be paying taxes.

Is he a real risk to the public now? Probably not.

So why not let him work and pay taxes, remove some privileges (driving licence?), have him do community service and save the cost of incarceration him and thousands more like him?

Is it just politicians wanting to look tough?

 

[Mr Celine]

So why not let him work and pay taxes, remove some privileges (driving licence?), have him do community service and save the cost of incarceration him and thousands more like him?

Pour encourager les autres.

 

[multitool]

Prison.

 

[Xipe Totec]

I'd assume it's because the police exist to enforce & uphold law & order, and when they don't they are held to a higher standard of accountability for their offences, presumably to serve as an example.

Too bad it appears to be the precise opposite for politicians.

 

[stephec]

Prison.

Considering some people's opinion of the police it would look like he's been let off too lightly if he doesn't go down.

And, if prison is supposed to act as a deterrent, what kind of message does it send to other officers who might be tempted to do something similar?

 

[AuroraSaab]

There's a lack of confidence in the police at the moment and officers like this undermine it further. I agree he's probably no further risk, and of course others will escape jail for worse. However, we should surely hold the police to higher standard than others so a prison sentence wouldn't be excessive.

It'll probably be suspended. No jail for this police officer yesterday who downloaded 100 child abuse images:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/articles/cekpp1jn152o.amp

 

[Bazzer]

No sympathy. If the pictures were of a relative or friend of mine, I would be very angry indeed.
They were taken at the time for a specific purpose, not the entertainment of, or to massage the ego of police officers, or others.

 

[fozy tornip]

Prion.

 

[C R]

Prion.

Giving them mad cow disease would probably be considered cruel or unusual punishment.

 

[All uphill]

OK.

As you gather I think we in the UK are addicted to imprisoning people. It's the immediate answer to a huge range of unacceptable behaviours, and a very expensive one which we do badly.

Where's the rehabilitation?
Where's the sense of paying back something to the society we have harmed?

I don't claim to have a perfect alternative, but the current prison system seems to me to be a disgrace.

 

[winjim]

With ignominy.

 

[AuroraSaab]

It costs a lot to jail people but you can just cram more in as a short term measure. Building the infrastructure of support, addiction help, probation officers, community service, costs a lot more in terms of time and effort. Plus the perception that these options are soft or don't work doesn't satisfy people's need to feel that offenders are being dealt with, whilst prison does.

The top to bottom overhaul of the justice system that increases rehabilitation but centres victims too would cost a fortune. More early intervention (like SureStart was for kids), more police, higher arrest and conviction rates to act as a deterrent, drug rehab, on and on .... There is no will from any party to undertake it because of the effort of making structural changes and the huge expense - for a benefit with voters that won't be seen until 2 elections down the line.

 

[Deleted member 121]

Can't we just chop his head off?

 

[newfhouse]

Tell him he can’t have his phone until he’s good.

 

[All uphill]

It costs a lot to jail people but you can just cram more in as a short term measure. Building the infrastructure of support, addiction help, probation officers, community service, costs a lot more in terms of time and effort. Plus the perception that these options are soft or don't work doesn't satisfy people's need to feel that offenders are being dealt with, whilst prison does.

The top to bottom overhaul of the justice system that increases rehabilitation but centres victims too would cost a fortune. More early intervention (like SureStart was for kids), more police, higher arrest and conviction rates to act as a deterrent, drug rehab, on and on .... There is no will from any party to undertake it because of the effort of making structural changes and the huge expense - for a benefit with voters that won't be seen until 2 elections down the line.

Sadly you are right, I'm sure.