"Prison doesn't work; it doesn't reduce crime," barrister Chris Daw tells LBC's Colin Brazier

In an interview debating whether we are sending too many people to prison, he said:
"[Prison is] an utterly counter-productive way to run our criminal justice system....
"What matters from our criminal justice system is how do we have fewer victims in the future.... Unfortunately, if you just see punishment as the principal aim of the system, all you end up with is an ever spiralling prison population and ever increasing levels of violent crime. And that is what we are seeing because that's the policy that lies behind sentencing in this country."

[@akuzikemauluka1086]

You should be a politician Chris. You make lots of sense.

[@MorganHayes_Composer.Pianist]

Sage words from the barrister .

[@onezerooneseven]

Interesting debate, it seems all that you are left with "punishment" as a justification for prison. I can see the reasoning for listening to victims, but they understandably come from a place of bias, and are not objective. Of course if it really only about punishment, other types of punishments exist, it doesn't have to be prison. Caning, whipping etc. As outdated as they may seem - I think they are more honest ways to punish people if the focus is actually punishment, cheaper too. Personally if I ended up in trouble I would prefer a singapore type caning to months or years in prison. I actually thinking locking someone up is more barbaric, especially when many lose jobs and accomodation as a result

[@mossychops]

Piricy (Broad Arrow Head?)

[@willieckaslike]

Sir, what (if any) would you suggest as a substitute ? I'm sure many would like to hear your options. I certainly would. Would you not agree, it is right to keep (especially dangerous criminals) segregated from society ?

[@eamonnkelly7411]

In his interview Chris Daw KC did refer to the systems of imprisonment used in the Netherlands and the Scandinavian countries. Those are a real substitutes that should be seriously considered.

[@eamonnkelly7411]

For those interested in punishment of criminals I recommend Moral Responsibility Reconsidered (2022) pp62, Gregg Caruso & Derk Pereboom. A longer book is Rejecting Retributivism (2021), pp328, Gregg Caruso.