Hi
I try not ot be cynical but I feel the reason for the question was because they had probably noticed your point about "hierarchy". 

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope is for tomorrow else what is left if you remove a mans hope.

Hi Agree, as other say I quote statistics because they prove what I want them to.

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope is for tomorrow else what is left if you remove a mans hope.

I believe the point she was making was comparing the reoffending rates of SO to that of terrorist offenders only (low vs very low). Pointing out that they (the terrorists) are being treated differently to everyone else. That is indeed the current situation, but will soon change as I mentioned above. Still, nice to know that there is someone below SO in the hierarchy of offending. Makes me feel soooo much better...

Last I heard when the victim is known to the offender then sex offenders recidivism rate was less.than 4% but I have ( due to lack of ability) never been able to find the statistic but I'm sure its out there somewhere? 
There again politicians wouldnt want hard facts getting in the way of their career would they. There is a petition going around to stop any politician telling (to quote a former one) "Verbal inexactitudes" but I will be amazed to see it get anywhere!
I am as well surprised to note that in order to dispel prejudice those statistics aren't published on Unlocks website. It would be harder for anyone to take liberties with the truth were the stats readily available to all!

As a (surprisingly honest!) Prime Minster once said, "I can prove anything with statistics, bar the truth."

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If you are to punish a man retributively you must injure him. If you are to reform him you must improve him. And men are not improved by injuries. (George Bernard Shaw)

Hi
Not sure on murder but I fully agree as that has always been my understanding. As you mention the issue with SO's is that there is so many grey areas in conditions imposed, the system has the benefit of manipulating them to suit their own purpose. 


Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope is for tomorrow else what is left if you remove a mans hope.

I believe the offence categories with the lowest re-offending rates have always been murder and sexual offences. Of course, the figures are probably inflated for sexual offenders by including the various notification technicalities, rather than new instances of committing sexual offences or breaching SOPOs/SHPOs.

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If you are to punish a man retributively you must injure him. If you are to reform him you must improve him. And men are not improved by injuries. (George Bernard Shaw)

Hi

"substantial rate of reoffending" 

As always they emphasis the words sex offender but use the % rates for all offences.



Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope is for tomorrow else what is left if you remove a mans hope.

Don't be surprised by the MP's party allegiance. Criminal justice is like an arms race, and they're always trying to outdo each other so nobody can accuse them of being soft on criminals. While I was in prison, I once met a Labour MP, who is now a candidate for deputy leader. This MP was happy to talk to people and sound interest, but rapidly lost interest when I politely asked what they thought government should do about the obvious problems.... The fact remains that they are all afraid of the tabloids and what prison management call "The Daily Mail effect", as if toadying up to any of the tabloids would suddenly decide they don't fear and despise Labour after all.

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If you are to punish a man retributively you must injure him. If you are to reform him you must improve him. And men are not improved by injuries. (George Bernard Shaw)

They are already bringing forward legislation to make 'serious' violent and SO serve two thirds of a sentence, rather than half. Serious meaning a sentence of 7 years or more. It was going to be 4 years, but they backed away from that, when the impact on our already overcrowded prison system was made clear to them. Despite all the talk of 10k extra prison places, the Prison Reform trust estimates that you need an extra 12k places, just to deal with the current levels of overcrowding. As for the rehab thing, this came out of previous investigations into 'short' sentences (those for less than 6 months). It was pointed out that a sentence of this length gave no time for the prisoner to do a rehab program. The Home Secretary at the time, said there should be a "presumption against short sentences", in favour of community sentences, although there is no evidence that the courts paid any attention to this. The number of community sentences is still at record lows.

The most surprising thing about the MP's remarks, was that they came from the Labour benches. Probably trying to win back their older voters in the north with a tough on crime stance.

I saw that. She said there was a "substantial rate of reoffending" - news to me - surely she should be calling for improvements to rehabilitation as opposed to 'full/longer sentences' if that were the case. What's that phrase about kicking cans down the road........


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Fighting or Accepting - its difficult to know which is right and when.

Hi
We know early release of "terrorists" has been a headline for a couple of months and I suppose some of us more cynical (in the eyes of the government) have wondered when the focus will be diverted to other offences. 

Today in PM questions a Labour MP raised the question asking when will the Government look at including and so stopping violent offenders and sex offenders early release.

This was expected but what was the most amazing element of her question is that she stated that completing the full sentence in prison "would rehabilitate an offender".

If the Government and society accepted that statement I would willing go back today to do the 2 years I completed on licence so I could get a family life, employment and stop the persecution and discrimination by them.

Oh to be an MP.

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope is for tomorrow else what is left if you remove a mans hope.