Toughen up jails

Yet another prisoner has absconded from an open prison (Castle Huntly near Dundee). He did so while working in a Perth charity shop as part of his preparation for release. He has also enjoyed several weekend visits home.

Tommy Sheridan was allowed home visits during his prison sentence and we hear of prisoners having televisions in their cells and access to many recreational facilities.

There are other indications in newspaper reports of how relaxed and comfortable prison regimes can be, with sentences often halved without the need for exemplary behaviour.

I contrast that with life for national servicemen in the 1950s. We had spartan barrack rooms, often freezing in winter, with ice forming on the floor, and a very hard regime of discipline and enforced drill and exercise, with very little pay and a very basic, monotonous diet.

We had only occasional spells of home leave – none when sent abroad – and no time off for good behaviour.

Perhaps we would have fewer repeat offenders today if they were subjected to the kind of discipline and work regime national servicemen once had.

If the present softly-softly approach is supposed to be turning offenders away from a life of crime, it does not seem to be working.

Tougher treatment might do the trick. After all, we national servicemen survived it (I am now 80). Why not today’s offenders? It might just work!

George K McMillan

Mount Tabor Avenue,

Perth