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Your support makes all the difference.Priti Patel’s declaration that she wants to employ more police officers so as to ensure that criminals “literally feel terror at the thought of committing offences”, together with her previous observations on the deterrent effect of the death penalty, show that we now have a home secretary who has a dangerous lack of understanding of the principles of deterring criminal activity.
The current state of theory and empirical knowledge based on a large body of international research on the subject can be expressed in five key points.
The first is that the certainty of being caught is a vastly more powerful deterrent than the punishment.
The second is that sending a criminal to prison isn’t a very effective way of deterring crime.
Third, police deter crime by increasing the perception that criminals will be caught and punished.
Fourth, increasing the severity of punishment does little to deter crime.
And finally, there is absolutely no proof that the death penalty deters criminals.
I appreciate that Patel is a member of a government that shows no inclination to disagree with Michael Gove’s assertion that the “people of this country have had enough of experts” but for a home secretary to apparently ignore the advice of criminologists throughout the world should cause us all to be concerned about our future safety and security.
Colin Burke
Manchester
I read, with barely disguised mirth, the speech from Priti Patel, the new home secretary, stating – amongst other things – that criminals should “feel terror”.
Looking at her past performance, I would strongly conjecture that should your average recidivist find themselves stuck in a room with Patel, for say an hour, the only feelings that would waft over them, apart from boredom, would be incredulity at such a clearly clueless person being an MP, let alone a government minister.
Robert Boston
Kingshill, Kent
Priti Patel might be right
Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol or whilst on the phone; dangerous driving; driving without licence or insurance; fly tipping; littering; vandalism; shoplifting; taking without owner’s consent; and a host of other dangerous or antisocial behaviours are those that weigh most heavily on the public perception of crime and are despised by all.
The imposition of fines and antisocial behaviour orders seem to be of limited effect and imprisonment is inappropriate and arguably harmful.
Perhaps there is the germ of an idea in Priti Patel’s thoughts on “terrorising” offenders.
It would be both interesting and instructive to conduct a trial of corporal punishment in place of the usual penalties and observe the results. The penalty would affect rich and poor, old and young, male and female equally. The fearful apprehension (or terror, if your prefer), pain and humiliation might influence reoffending rates whilst not excluding follow-up rehabilitation and not adding to economic disadvantage. Reoffenders would face a steep curve of incremental increases in the severity of the penalty.
In anticipation of condemnation, vituperation and general outrage, I have already donned my hard hat, but reasoned evaluation of the proposal would be more welcome.
Steve Ford
Haydon Bridge, Northumberland
The great no-deal strop
The UK’s latest threat to the EU that it will opt for no deal if negotiations are not reopened is embarrassing. It is like a teenager threatening to throw a strop if their parents do not let them take the car on a world tour alone, despite knowing they are not insured, there is no fuel in the car, and there is a slow puncture in at least three of the tyres.
Matt Minshall
Norfolk
Dropping isn’t a ‘strange’ tradition
Your article on the Dutch custom of “dropping” makes it sound alien, but in my youth it was just a normal scouting activity. We didn’t give it a fancy name and there were no hi-viz jackets, GPS units or mobile phones. We just had a map and compass, and we had to find our way back to our base. The first task was working out where we were, which might entail walking in the wrong direction until we could identify a landmark. Then it was just a routine hike back.
John Harrison
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