“What about the victims of crime?” – Readers say longer prison sentences are needed in the UK

The Prison Reform Trust has warned that plans to keep offenders behind bars for longer may not help to cut crime or make the country safer and would only add to pressures on overstretched prisons.

We asked in our Facebook poll: “Do you think longer prison sentences are needed in the UK?”

More than 900 readers took part in our online vote, with 88% saying yes – longer prison sentences are needed in the UK.

This is what you said in the Facebook comments:

Ingrid Golden said: “There are too many goody two shoes getting involved, do the crime do the time. If they get seven years – they do seven years.

“Also they have to many luxuries in prison, they’re in for punishment not a holiday.”

Elaine Mansell said: “Bring back all the support systems in the community that were cut. Overstretched prisons cannot be used as a reason not to lock people up.”

Steve Brennan said: “Better off spending the money on trying to rehabilitate them.”

Mike Usher Robin said: “The problem with locking them up for longer is that unless you either lock them up for life or put much more effort into rehabilitation, all you are doing is giving them opportunities to learn from and network with other criminals.”

Norman Thubron said: “What about the victims of crime, how many organisations are there for them? Always about the poor prisoners, it’s their choice to commit crime.”