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MacAskill attacked over 'jobs for cons'



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Published Date: 10 September 2008
By JOE QUINN
KENNY MacAskill, the justice secretary, was yesterday accused of "insulting the construction industry" after he floated the idea of low-level offenders being sentenced to work on building sites.
Mr MacAskill raised the prospect at a conference on prison policy. He said it was "ridiculous" prisoners with the potential to be useful were stuck behind bars at a time when there were major construction projects.

Mr MacAskill yesterday said he was talking "in generalities".

However, Paul Martin, for Labour, said: "Victims of crime want offenders to serve their sentence – that means being in prison."





The full article contains 100 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 09 September 2008 10:10 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Scottish prisons
 
1

2Right,

On Location 10/09/2008 01:33:49
Maybe they could clean up all the old grave yards
2

2Right,

On Location 10/09/2008 01:45:56
Paul Martin has a cheek he wanted not too long ago to send them to the army.
Certainly changed his tune since losing to SNP eh ?

The article was in the evening times "Glasgow" edition here:

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/search/display.var.1214043.0.put_teenage_thugs_in_army_not_in_prison.php

3

2Right,

On Location 10/09/2008 02:02:51
Paul martin should be sacked for using his Fathers air miles vouchers to fly to london and his Father should be sacked for claiming expenses for his wife for Taxi's to go shopping.

Remember McLetchie ?

They are both a disgrace
4

W U Merchant,

Aberdeen 10/09/2008 10:27:40
Who is giving MacAskill these daft ideas? Even he is not capable of dreaming these up.
5

Teofilio Cubillas,

10/09/2008 10:57:09
"However, Paul Martin, for Labour, said: "Victims of crime want offenders to serve their sentence – that means being in prison."

Actually I think most victims of lesser crimes would be quite happy to see lower grade offenders engaged in physical labour for the good of the community than playing table tennis or loafing in their cells watching Jeremy Kyle and smoking hash. As neither an SNP or (in a million years) a Labour voter, I think it's a pretty good idea. Get them out picking up litter off the verges (A Scotsman article about two months ago highlighted the appalling state of our trash strewn roads) or painting council properties such as old folks homes. Make remission of sentences dependent upon their participation and pay them a small wage. Those wasters who refuse to participate or just loaf about on the job - no remission of sentence. Will it happen? I won't hold my breath.
6

Guga II,

Rockall 10/09/2008 14:57:11
As I stated yesterday, yet another idiotic idea from that waste of space, Kenny MacAskill.

The first thing that would happen is that they would start letting out all the violent neds and thugs, half of whom would abscond, the other half would just commit their crimes in situ.

The idea will probably be welcomed by the business community as they can request prisoners to work on building sites, probably at a very cheap rate, and put a lot of building workers out of a job. The building industry already employs a lot of Eastern Europeans as they can pay them far less than the going rate. Using prisoners would be a free gift scheme to them, and allow them to enhance their profits at the expense of genuine building workers.

I am all for making prisoners work for their keep, but the best way to approach this so that it is not detrimental to the majority of building workers, is to have them on chain gangs digging drainage ditches along the sides of the roads, clearing verges and similar. They could also be used to do gardening work for old age pensioners and the like, under strict supervision, of course.

Kenny MacAskill seems determined to empty the prisons as much as possible, which may have a degree of merit, but he appears to be unable to discriminate between non-violent and violent prisoners. He is already allowing violent thugs to be sent to open prisons, from which they can, and do, easily walk out.

Remember also, this is the amadan that doesn't want to gaol anyone under the age of eighteen, even if they are violent thugs and neds. He is also the man who is pushing for a raft of new legislation to prevent anyone under the age of 21 from getting access to alcohol, as well as rasing the prices of it; all because he appears not to want to enforce existing, and comprehensive legislation covering under-age drinking and loutish behaviour.

Kenny, will you please resign, before you do any more damage to the SNP. Wee Eck, get rid of this numpty.

7

Matt there,

somewhere 12/09/2008 00:22:03
Well, Paul, maybe the sentence could be like the one Wendy got? Guilty as charged but let's let her off with no punishment?

How does that work?
8

bluehead,

edinburgh 01/10/2008 09:16:46
Kenny MacCracker is becoming more and more irritating to listen to,the irony is that he seemed very sensible to listen to before the scottish election ,but now sounds more like a buffoon.

 

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