It was heartening to read David Gauke’s open-minded approach to reviewing sentencing policy (Inside Westminster, 25 October). It has long been clear that the justice system in this country is not fit for purpose, with courts unable to meet demand, many crimes being unsolved or even adequately investigated, and reoffending rates too high.
But this must be looked at holistically. Sentencing policy changes can make some impact, but if we don’t adequately fund and resource our courts and police forces, then it will have little effect. Gauke also neglected to mention the importance of rehabilitation of those currently in prison. Organisations such as Tap Social and Redemption Roasters have proven the effectiveness of providing prisoners with skills, confidence and connections ahead of their release, to cut reoffending rates. That the latter is seeking a new prison to host its work after having its contract terminated shows the lack of importance placed on rehabilitation by the Ministry of Justice.
Ash Corbett-Collins, Birmingham
A fresh start
I read with great interest the former justice secretary David Gauke’s article about his forthcoming review of sentencing policy, which included recommendations for incentives for good behaviour to help reduce reoffending (Inside Westminster, 25 October). Young people in custody frequently have limited access to qualifications and opportunities, as well as lower aspirations. At the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE), we have been supporting prisons and young-offender institutions to deliver the DofE for many years. Chances to learn new skills, engage in purposeful activity and take on responsibilities while in prison give young people the chance to change the trajectory of their lives – letting them discover new talents, grow in self-belief, give something back and increase their employment prospects.
While the government grapples with the issue of overcrowding, we urge it to prioritise education and development opportunities for young people at risk of offending, on probation and post-release, as well as in prison. This will be crucial for any successful strategy to prevent crime and to support the rehabilitation of offenders, ultimately benefiting both them and wider society in the longer term.
Ruth Marvel OBE, chief executive, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
Campaigning for Harris
Kamala Harris may have her flaws, as outlined in Katie Stallard’s cover story (25 October) – which politician doesn’t? – but there is one overwhelming reason that we should give her unqualified support: she’s not Trump. The future for the US, and for the rest of us, hardly bears thinking about if the man-child gets his hands on power again. There will be challenges enough even if he doesn’t win. To those of us with any sense of common humanity, the choice between a sexist convicted felon and a flawed human being looks like no choice, no matter how much we may hope for a better performance from the Democrats in future. Hopefully enough voters will agree and give Harris a chance. The stakes could hardly be higher.
Ben Whitney, Wolverhampton
The question posed on your cover, “Has Kamala Harris blown it?” seems a bit harsh. While we agonise about whether Harris, a serious and thoughtful woman, has run exactly the right campaign in incredibly difficult circumstances, Trump, a convicted criminal and an insurrectionist with a history of sexual assaults seems to get away with churning out his Célinian stream-of-consciousness rants and racial slurs. As Katie Stallard points out, the double standard involved in much of the US campaign commentary is astonishing.
David Perry, Cambridge
“Life is more than a supermarket”
John Gray’s references to Ian Gilmour are a travesty (These Times, 25 October). Gilmour did not inherit Scottish estates, and lived most of his life in Isleworth. He did not resign from Thatcher’s cabinet, but was sacked by her for ideological incompatibility. He did not oppose Thatcher because she was a grocer’s daughter. He worked closely with Edward Heath, the son of a carpenter, and his closest political friend, Peter Walker, was the son of a factory worker. Gilmour condemned Thatcher as an ideologue who contravened Conservative traditions by destroying the sense of common purpose in Britain and by minimising community responsibility for people’s well-being. Her belief that the best of life is represented by retail bonanzas and cut-price deals disgusted him. “Life,” wrote Gilmour, “is more than a supermarket.
Richard Davenport-Hines, Ardèche, France
Looking back in anger
What an excellent addition Alison Phillips’ Media Notebook is to the magazine. The piece on “sanewashing” Trump (25 October) makes me believe more than ever that in years to come we will look back at the press and question its role in some of the things that have gone wrong with the world we’re living in.
Rob Grew, Birmingham
On birth and dearth
Hannah Barnes is right to berate David Goodhart for understating the economics behind falling fertility (The Critics, 25 October). The prolonging of the economic dependence of children beyond adolescence, combined with, in the concluding words of Will Dunn in his Money Matters column, living “in a country in which young people increasingly put off marriage or starting a family because they can’t afford a home”, go far further in accounting for the dearth of births. Added to this is less the putative effect of efficient contraception making maternity an elective status, but also, arguably, the increasing evidence of the deteriorating sperm counts of males in affluent countries.
Paul Thomson, Mobberley, Cheshire
Cairn you dig it
The cairn is indeed a shared human moment in often remote places (Diary, 25 October). I remember a Nicholas Crane documentary where he walked in the Pyrenees with a legendary, misanthropic Scottish walker who knocked down cairns, I think because he wanted the whole place to himself.
Iain Smith, Leeds, West Yorkshire
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This article appears in the 30 Oct 2024 issue of the New Statesman, American Horror Story