When is it right to release prisoners?
On the phone-in this morning we're asking: when is it right to release prisoners?
The Home Secretary has refused to release Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs, despite his parole board saying he should be freed. 79 year-old Mr Biggs is unable to speak or feed himself after suffering a series of strokes. He's in hospital with a broken hip.
Jack Straw says Biggs was "wholly unrepentant" about his actions and had "outrageously courted the media" - are those the right reasons to keep him locked up? Are some prisoners let out to early while others languish in their cells? Should life always mean life?
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The sentence Biggs was given would never be given today. Having returned from his escape exile and served these years in prison I think it is inhuman not to let the frail old man out for his last days.
When I think of some of the sentences handed down at present under the tariff rules I am appalled at the leniency with which some people are treated. And please don't have on a load of callers going on about the train driver because this clouds the issue of parole for a dying man, 46 years after the robbery and nearly 40 years since the driver's death. Biggs was not charged with murder! When you look at minimum sentences for people who have killed (seven years for manslaughter of the Barclay's Wealth executive!!!!!) then please think it is time for the old guy to get out of prison and be with his son.
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jack straw is playing god. his reaction to the parole application is totally irrational. all prisoners need to be treated with the same regulations and rules of law, whoever they are and whatever they have done. it needs to be made clear exactly what is taken into account when it comes to parole. it's got to ba a level playing field for all prisoners. jack straw saying biggs's lack of remorse is the reason for him not being let out is ridiculous. straw is such a tyrant. what is parole? that would be the question...
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Ronnie Biggs commited a crime, he was given a sentence and then he escaped. When living in exile he mocked the British Government/Law/People and only returned because he was ill and wanted free treatment from a Service that he had not paid into. He didn't return because of he had a conscience about his crime - he returned because he was banking on medical help and a sympathetic society so that he could end his days comfortably, living off the social funds of this country. If he's let out he'll be laughing up his sleeve.
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"When is it right to release prisoners?"
Well, when they're served their sentence, for a start!
Not when they've served half their sentence. Not when they've served a token sentence but when they've served the full, proportionate sentence handed down by a competent authority - which means a judge in court, not a career politician in an office.
And there's the nub; Biggs is old, frail, extremely unlikely to re-offend and unlikely to live much longer. He is no longer a danger to the public whereas the streets apparently crawl with thugs, hoodlums, rapists and all sorts of ill-intentioned scum.
The sentence must be proportionate. If Biggs got thirty years for an aggravated robbery then the Kinsella killers should be serving life - as in they don't leave prison except in a box, not "minimum of nineteen years" - and thugs who assault a pensioner resulting in his death should not be getting three years and eighteen months respectively.
It seems that in Biggs' era the judiciary had a more robust approach to sentencing. These days the bench seems to have been politicised and had its back-bone excised by wishy-washy lilly-liverd politicians.
"Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime?"
Yeah - right!
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Ambivalent - strangely ambivalent to Ronnie Biggs case.
Ill health hhas often been quoted as a reason to be lenient on someone when a parole option comes up but when I heard the perceived verdict for letting him out - wasn't made - I almost smiled.
Aint it nice that someone can make a decision that is anticipated by the Dire Media pusjhing this way and that. It was the So and so (Sew and Sew) what done it?
I heard his son on Today and understand his disappointment but I will think on.
I am old enough to remember the whole thing and have yet to feel any sympathy for those involved in the robbery.
I never saw the film "Buster" you know? And the "real" gentleman in later life at Waterloo Station was seen on an almost daily basis for a time.
I cannot recall how often I bought anything from him - if at all.
I worked for the "Post Office" sort of - at the time. Exactly!
Big fan of Phil Collins though.
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Buster Edwards hanged himself.
Anyway, Jack Straw would do well to note that bit above about the Kinsella killers.
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It strikes me as slightly political. It was a populist move to let Jade Goody's fella out for the wedding, as the media was all over her in a luvvie manner.
Now the government is in schtuck and looking at an election landslide - into political oblivion, that is - in less than twelve months they finally decide to appear tough and decisive?
Oh, per-leeeze!
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In his condition he is in the best place getting high quality care at the expense of the tax payer. If he was released he would be getting visits from a string of anonymous agency staff each week. Perhaps this is the last smart move from a man who managed to get his sentence deferred for 30 years to spend the best years of his life in the sun; tricking Straw into refusing the real punishment of parole. Like many sun seeking expats once you lose your health you might as well be in 24 hour care. In fact it is probably the best pension plan left for many I dread to think who will care for me when I am old and frail perhaps getting a substantial jail sentence is the safest option all I have to do now is spend my healthy years planning the crime which will get me free food and lodgings with top care.
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I agree entirely with posting no 8.The thing that this shows me is that the whole of the prison sentencing system needs a complete and utter overhaul. Life must mean life - if that's what you are sentenced to, that's what you should get.
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I can see both sides of the fence here, but would say that he's done his time and should have been paroled and freed now.
Recently the government has been releasing umpteen criminals because the jails are full and they didn't build any more. Thanks to government policies and greedy selfish bankers the country is becoming a third world country.
I am about to lose my job of 26 years. Thanks Gordon and fat greedy bankers.
Set Ronnie Biggs free, and jail Fred the Shred !! Bring on the election and get New Labour Clowns out !!
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To Carrie
" don't mention the train driver as this clouds the issue of Parole"
tell that to the train drivers family
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Straw, stop being a pompous prat, alright biggs did wrong and hasnt served his full sentance, but for christ sake the man is dying, have some compassion
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According to his son he cannot walk or talk, read or write or eat, so he is in the right place, being cared for 24/7. He had all his prime years living in freedom, when he had the youth to enjoy it, now he should serve his sentence. If he wanted a 'free' retirement he should have done his time when he was younger, he can't have it bot ways.
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bonedoc70, the train driver died of leukaemia, not from the injury he received during the robbery.
The remorse thing that has caught up Straw is based on pre-release prisoners going through an exercise of saying they admit the offence and they are sorry. I don't think this old boy would be physically capable of going to such a group by the sound of it, and incidentally, the Parole Board recommended release and it is incredibly rare for them to be overruled in such circumstances.
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I was interested to hear his son condem the justice system for NOT releasing his father, and citing the fact that these sentences would not be handed out today
in my view ...more´s the pity!
these sentences being handed out would perhaps deter others from risking having them imposed on them
let us not forget that biggs stuck two fingers up that the justice system he now wants to show him leniency when he escaped to south america to live in freedom, returning only when the free nhs service was required for his comfort
leave him in jail to rot!
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Should he die in jail because he mocked our justice system or stuck two fingers up, while he sunned himself on the beach in Brazil? That's not punishment - that's infantile and primitive revenge. And where's the satisfaction of meting out revenge on a frail elderly man, too ill to even appreciate that he is being punished.
His son committed no crime, why should he have to pay?
Anyway, there is certainly plenty in our justice system to mock.
Innocent men, shot dead on the tube by the anti-terrorist squad - who has been punished for that?
Heavy handed (to say the least) riot police at the anti-capitalist march in the City - a man died there too.
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If this is justice, you can stick it where the sun dont shine, Biggs played a relativley small role in the train robbery of 63,no one was killed, the train driver that was asaulted died 7 years after the robbery of a totaly unrelated cause, leukaemia.
when you think of the sentences handed out to some of the animals in society, the killers of baby P spring to mind,and some of the scum being released because the prisons have no room for them it reinforces the theory that Jack Straw and the vindictive system that he represents are after nothing more than revenge..another fact to bear in mind is that Biggs and his cronies stole a lot less than our right honorable MPs have stolen from us!! I would ask that one of our newspapers start a free Ronnie campaign,,Please before its too late
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Bear of little brain mentioned somewhere. The lovely Alan Coren remembered.
Another line I nicked. Talking of being nicked - Mr Biggs - heard another illness contracted - all the best, Sir.
That child in the school business. Case dropped on a technicality? News this AM.
It is funny what you hear. The mother involved actually said it proved her innocence or some such?
I would ask one question.
Did you actually put your mothers address on the form to get your child into said school? If the answer is yes which I think it is what I heard you say - with my tin ear - on my radio was Phew I got away with it! - allegedly of course. Lol
Subject: which you find in some champions - but on another day what is this about french bread bit of a mucky picture self or liddle he plays the American Andrew Roddick
Anagram: SFO machine - so pin - which you mind - Button - Honey RADA wife snobs Cabaret hurts hat hid buy C patriot muck fie sold refilled (Carpeted) wail (Deck roe) hair Dna hymn
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