The tabloids and the main parties have whipped themselves into a frenzy over the risks posed by released prisoners.
The initial spark was a string of high-profile murders by exoffenders on parole. This fed into a xenophobic explosion over the revelation that in the past decade over a thousand foreign prisoners were released without deportation being considered.
But an examination of the issues reveals this to be a largely manufactured crisis. Short of indefinitely locking up all crimiBully boy Reid does not have the right answers nals (the American solution -with 2.1 million behind bars), it is inevitable that prisoners will return to the community when they have served their sentences.
Some will commit further offences. Occasionally these will be serious.
In part this is because even the best prisons have a record of encouraging more criminal activity by offenders than other methods of dealing with them. In part because the assessment of "risk" and supervision on release are notoriously subjective and
British gaols are warehouses stacked high with individuals suffering from low self-esteem, learning difficulties, mental illness, addiction and other problems.
They are locked up 23 hours a day, with virtually no education, counselling, preparation for or support after release. Is it surprising many continue offending?
Of course people need to be protected from dangerous criminals but these problems are deeply-rooted in the heart of society, the state and its punitive institutions. Bolting the stable door (literally) after the horses have gone is a short term, superficial approach focussing purely on consequence not bause
Similarly the "crisis" over foreign prisoners. The vast majority are not "dangerous" and many are not "foreign" in any meaningful sense of the words.
They may have been born in another country but many have lived here for years, have rights of residence and have families Prisoners are locked up 23 hours a day, with virtually no education, counselling, preparation for or support after release. Is it surprising many continue offending? here. Why should they be deported? Some are not even criminals, but are immigration detainees.
Many others like the "drug mules", have been driven to crime through poverty and desper allon
These individuals are among the most marginalised. Subject to racism, isolated, deprived of wellare and caucation - iney have the greatest difficulties and need support.
Instead of focussing on these problems ministers have attacked the failings of everyone but themselves. Other parties, journalists and senior judges all got it in the neck.
Criticisms of probation officers in parole and supervision decisions ignored the run down of a probation service wracked by high staff turnover, low morale and relentless reforms.
And an attempt at privatising the probation service had to be shelved following widespread
opposition. New ideas floated included the virtual abolition of compensation for victims of miscarriages of justice and an undermining or aerendants' rights to quash convictions on appeal. Both will chip away at the principle that a person is innocent unless proved guilty. And, 24 hours before polling, a desperate Charles Clarke called for "foreign" criminals to be deported in all but exceptional circumstances when convicted of imprisonable offences.
That would include some very minor crimes and be irrespective of family ties or length of residency. It would include asylum seekers driven to shop-lift because they can't survive on the sub-poverty or non-existent benefits.
This frenzy has a function. New Labour has staked out "law and order" as a battle ground. Its strategy is to whip up public insecurity, engage in a bidding war over who is hardest and make electoral appeals on a safety-first basis - "things may be bad but we are the only ones you can trust to look after you".
Lashing out against criminals and foreigners (and preferably a combination of the two then becomes irresistible.
But Labour looks like losing this game. The "crisis" over released foreign prisoners has shown that Blair's authoritarian rhetoric is built on foundations of incompetence and short-termism. He only has himself to blame when the beast bites DaCK strike by civil servants was STOP
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