Is Serco fit to run our detention centres?

[Red]

Chosen for quality and cost, says the government. They got half of that right.

Channel 4 have undertaken a covert investigation inside the Yarl's Wood detention centre. Their findings can be seen in the link below.

Should private sector organisations be running detention centres?

http://www.channel4.com/news/yarls-wood-immigration-removal-detention-centre-investigation

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

I don't think it matters as much when it comes to a detention centre, I don't suppose public sector workers are any less callous given the opportunity. Private prisons are more of a disaster because they have a financial incentive to not rehabilitate, whereas presumably these people are just waiting to be deported.

 

[sl1k]

The the whole prison system is counter productive and will continue to be so as long as it is in the hands of private businessman. Rehabilitation of the prisoners is obviously not the priority, so what is it we expect the justice system to achieve for us as a society? Just a means of locking people up?

 

[Alty]

The the whole prison system is counter productive and will continue to be so as long as it is in the hands of private businessman. Rehabilitation of the prisoners is obviously not the priority, so what is it we expect the justice system to achieve for us as a society? Just a means of locking people up?

There are problems with the prison system but it's primary purpose is to keep dangerous people the fuck away from us. Even if they're shit at rehabilitating at least they prevent murderers and rapists walking around freely.

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

There are problems with the prison system but it's primary purpose is to keep dangerous people the fuck away from us. Even if they're shit at rehabilitating at least they prevent murderers and rapists walking around freely.

The vast majority of people in prison are not rapists or murderers though. The majority are in there for relatively minor violent crimes, theft, and of course selling and possessing plants and powders that society has deemed naughty... and then they end up coming out of prison as more hardened criminals than they went in, which means they're back in there before long.

Reoffending rates top 70% in some prisons, figures reveal

 

[Alty]

The vast majority of people in prison are not rapists or murderers though. The majority are in there for relatively minor violent crimes, theft, and of course selling and possessing plants and powders that society has deemed naughty... and then they end up coming out of prison as more hardened criminals than they went in, which means they're back in there before long.

Reoffending rates top 70% in some prisons, figures reveal

Don't necessarily disagree with any of that. Fact remains that prison is about more than rehabilitation. There are plenty of people who can't be rehabilitated (or about whom there are very significant doubts) whose rightful place is in prison.

 

[sl1k]

Don't necessarily disagree with any of that. Fact remains that prison is about more than rehabilitation. There are plenty of people who can't be rehabilitated (or about whom there are very significant doubts) whose rightful place is in prison.

Indeed there are people who cannot be rehabilitated, but speaking as someone who's been through the system in my younger years I can comfortably say that most would accept help if they are incentivised with better opportunities and a better life. Unfortunately alot of people come out feeling further entrenched in their past lifestyle, they're not equipped with the tools to make changes. These are typically the sort of people in the re-offending stats that EG linked.

A wing full of other disenfrachised prisoners, all with different ideas and circumstances - it literally becomes a school-like place of networking for criminals if you don't give them an alternative. It doesn't help that society pretty much tells you to go get fucked if you got a criminal record, it alienates many who'd bite your hand off for the opporunity to work legit and pay their way.