Dave makes a good deal of sense with a couple of his comments; "alcohol is legal and other drugs are illegal". We need to take the drug issue in perspective. Alcohol is by far and away the biggest cause of social problems that relates to drugs, the costs to society caused by alcohol is enormous. Prohibition, as proved in America in the 1920's is not the answer, if people do not believe they are not doing anything wrong they just go ahead and do it.
The other point Dave made was; "ANZ was getting rid of many employees and outsourcing jobs to other countries." Both big and small business fail to realise that like individuals they too have a social responsibility to society, too often business fails in this regard, believing their responsibility stops at the bottom line. If we accept the totally free enterprise argument then we are going to have a very poor society indeed. With a dog eat dog mentality, workers in powerful industries justifiably could hold society to ransom to get their way and so on. A few would benefit, while the majority would suffer.

I wonder at some postings.

Eg. “As for druggies, the book should be thrown at them at the first instance, & long sentences to work gangs in national parks, with real hard labour would give much better results in every way.”

I have not experienced the hopelessness which can lead to drug abuse. Drug use is a medical rather than criminal problem. There is no more justification for throwing the book at druggies than there is in throwing the book at an alcoholic. Throwing the book at druggies would only benefit those who make money building and guarding prisons.

Another post:

“On tuesday last I spoke with some young indigenous boys & asked them why the keep on breaking the Law when they know they can end up in jail. Their unanimous answer was & with undeniable glee in their expression "Yeah we'll get sent to Lotus Glen". Lotus Glen is the jail in the Atherton tablelands. These boys told me that it is an honour to be able to proof that you have been to Lotus Glen. They told me that you get everything from good food, to exercise, to education & money when you leave. The only thing missing is punishment. Now go figure why the crime rate in indigenous communities is on the rise.”

I wouldn’t want to be in any jail regardless of food and other amenities. Jail is jail, and you have to stay there. The lives of some young indigenous boys are so impoverished and their educational opportunities are so limited that jail looks good by comparison. Rather than worry that jails are too good there may be more point in investigating why their lives are so bad.

It might help to consider some of the causes of crime – poverty, lack of opportunity and other flaws in society. It might also help to stop considering moral failures as crimes.

Some posters prefer to make things tougher on those convicted of crimes rather than consider the cause of the crimes and whether there should be so many activities considered crimes.

too often business fails in this regard,
Paul 1405,
In Qld the previous Labor Government has caused a lot of that & now we're still waiting if Can do Campbell can actually do something to repair that damage..

I wouldn’t want to be in any jail regardless of food and other amenities.
david f,
neither would I but those young mis-led see it differently. They know they CAN GET AWAY WITH IT because of the idiotic system that focuses on persecuting victims & mollycoddling the offenders. I can only put it down to some perverse sense of satisfaction by magistrates to make such rulings. In our community the local paper is not permitted to print court news because it offends the families of the offenders.

That's the way david f, you'll get us lots more criminals with that approach. Nothing like encouraging them with nice warm beds play stations & TV.

I don't give a damn why some yobo has broken into my house, I just want him stopped from doing it again.

Meanwhile we have national parks full of vermin, weeds, & fire prone litter. It makes sense to cure both problems with the one stroke, & meanwhile the victim, & there victims remember, get a little compensation for loosing their possessions.

Until we can get rid these fool ideas of looking after the criminal, rather than the victim, we will just get more criminals, & dodgy TV sets down the pub will get cheaper.

Oh, & remember you did ask. If you don't like the answers, just perhaps you, & not the responders, are wrong.

Dear individual,

It is not mollycoddling to educate prisoners. It gives them a greater ability to make a living when they get out of jail. This makes it less likely that they will be back. If there were adequate educational facilities where they lived the young Aborigines could get educated without going to jail.

Giving adequate food and medical care along with a chance for education is treating prisoners as human beings not mollycoddling.

The best prison is still a prison. I see nothing wrong with treating prisoners well and helping them to be better equipped for life outside of prison.