Prisons: As always, the 'lock 'em up' lobby will prevail

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Prisons: As always, the 'lock 'em up' lobby will prevail

To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@theage.com.au. Please include your home address and telephone number.

Once more Victoria's prison system is making headlines (The Age, 28/6). When I worked in Beechworth Training Prison as an education officer in the early 1970s, the prevailing wisdom among criminologists and those in the know was that if money were put into the areas of children and youth, the government could soon begin to close prisons due to lack of numbers. That wisdom has not changed.

Illustration: Vintage Michael Leunig

Illustration: Vintage Michael Leunig

A few years ago Texas, the US state with one of the world's highest incarceration rates, began to spend money on prevention rather than building more prisons. Soon they were closing prisons. While they still have a high imprisonment rate, it was a step in the right direction. A chance conversation with the parents of an inmate of a Texas prison confirmed what I had read.

So why are we imprisoning people and then spending millions trying to rehabilitate them? Soon we are sure to have an investigation that will confirm what we already know. Even then, history tells us that the "lock 'em up" lobby will prevail. A tragedy for all concerned and a criminal waste of money.

Geoffrey Galbraith, Beechworth

Take a broad approach to reduce prison numbers

It would seem there are four components to reducing recidivism (45per cent nationally). One, prevention: reducing the risk factors includes attention to education, poverty reduction, mental health and intellectual disabilities. A difficult problem is the reduction of inter-generational offending. Many female prisoners have experienced sexual abuse prior to incarceration.

Two, job readiness and education in prison: we need to discover why "only 36per cent" of prisoners "participate in education programs". Three, post-release help: more funding for organisations such as the Victorian Association for the Care & Resettlement of Offenders. Housing is an issue, especially with social housing being in such short supply in the community. Support to go along with housing is essential. Sometimes to reduce re-offending, a prisoner needs to cease contact with former friends. This is a big ask.

Four, the community perceives prison as a comparatively soft ride with accommodation, food and programs available to inmates. This makes it hard for governments to divert more money into prison reform. The community forgets prisoners already have deprivation of liberty, likelihood of violence and disintegration of their families.

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Solutions: Do we need more community based orders and bail, particularly for property offences? More day release programs? More early release for good behaviour?

Jan Marshall, Brighton

Invest in social programs, not in more prisons

The surging prisoner numbers in Victoria, the result of being "tough on crime", show we have not learnt anything. Every time we drive past the ever-expanding jail constructions going up in the western suburbs, we observe that this is an indication of a giant fail. Billions of dollars are being wasted when we know that the money could be better spent on positive social programs that have been successful when implemented properly.

Jeanne Hart, Maryborough

Focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment

While some people are a danger to society and need to be removed for a period of time, most inmates are in prison because of mental illness, inequality, lack of education and opportunity. The Scandinavian countries, with their focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment, have the lowest recidivism rates in the world.

The seeds of violence are sown in childhood and we should look to New Zealand where the number of children appearing in court has dropped by 60per cent in eight years. This has been achieved by fostering collaboration between schools, government agencies, community organisations and the police in better supporting families while also addressing their children's actions.

We pay $100,000 per year for each prisoner, while the costs of rehabilitation are a fraction of the money spent on imprisonment. Redirection of funding would reap substantial dividends in reducing violence as well as avoiding imprisonment.

Bryan Long, Balwyn

THE FORUM

Trump's dangerous antics

What Donald Trump appears to define as international diplomacy amounts really to a series of uninformed antics designed to keep his supporters in Texas, Florida etc feeling comfortable and impressed. Unfortunately most of the world has to watch in horror as he plays cat and mouse with dodgy leaders and ignores functioning treaties.

Having brought us all to the edge of catastrophe, his efforts frequently end in either a backdown, a suggestion that his future efforts will bring ultimate success – or a denial that anything happened at all. One day when he over steps the line, we may look back at this period of his presidency as the calm before the storm.

Margaret Harrison, Clifton Hill

Moving towards new hope

Good diplomacy outweighs threats, sanctions and inflated hollow egos in the ushering of global peace. The historic handshake and "step over the border" into North Korea by Donald Trump, at the invitation of Kim Jong-un, punctuated by the image of him sandwiched between adversaries Kim and South Korea's Moon Jae-in in the demilitarised zone, appeared like a leap into a new zone of hope and a move towards denuclearisation.

Geraldine Gonsalvez, Dandenong

Say no to an Iran attack

Well said, Tony Walker (Comment, 1/7): a rare piece of good sense. Australia has no more reason to attack Iran than we did in 2003 when we invaded Iraq. Our leaders keep invoking the international rules-based order, but without a direct threat to Australia or a resolution of the UN Security Council, we will flagrantly breach it. The Prime Minister should advise the United States against a war, and say Australia will not join a coalition to attack Iran.

Alison Broinowski, vice-president, Australians for War Powers Reform

Time for Labor to stand up

Labor, you are supposed to be in opposition, not complete surrender. Do not back a move that will lead to the flattening of our progressive tax system (over the next six years). The world is a turbulent place, we may need the money when we are at war with Iran.

Peter Ramadge, Newport

Tell us what will be cut

Could Labor please pick itself up off the floor and stand for something? If one in 50 people had changed their vote, Scott Morrison and the Liberals would probably be history. But thanks to Clive Palmer's $60million vote-buying extravaganza and a cynical scare campaign, the Coalition has limped back into office and now plans to entrench its hold on power with $95billion of tax cuts over five years to high-income earners. So what will be cut five years down the track when this folly comes home to roost? Health? Education? Social services? The ABC? What chance now for a fair and egalitarian society?

Michael Hassett, Blackburn

Cuts cannot be reversed

I wonder what the Prime Minister and Treasurer would say if a union demanded a guaranteed pay increase for their members five years into the future, without any consideration of the employer's profitability and capacity to pay when it came time to honour the guarantee. That is what they have done with their proposed legislation for tax cuts.

By using taxpayers as hostages and demanding all three stages of the cuts or none, they have tied both parties into the final tranche. Assuming the economy remains flat or worse, there is no way that the Coalition (because it would not want to) or Labor could reverse these tax cuts. Once these have been "given" to taxpayers, any suggestion to change them would be seen as "taking them away".

Richard Jamonts, Williamstown

Subsidise service charges

Paul Fearon from Energy Safe Victoria rightly advises people to have their gas heaters serviced at least once every two years (Comment, 2/7). This is a great plan if they can afford it after paying the gas bill for heating. The going service rate is $230, plus parts. The last sub-contractor here took about 15 minutes and then was out of the door.

I am looking at replacing my heater with an electric system. The people who are most affected may not have that option. While the government is talking about tax breaks, maybe it should also introduce a subsidy for service charges for pensioners and low-income people.

Judith Horton, Heidelberg West

Changing opera's story

As a regular attendee at opera, I am wholly in support of the reframing of gender bias and dramatised violence against women in opera (The Age, 1/7). There are, however, more groups than opera companies and composers to be considered. These include music critics, opera directors, who determine the tone of the production, and the cast, who may be unable to dictate their role presentation.

And very importantly, there is the audience. More than once, I have been sickened by laughter during a rape scene, and again during the portrayal of women as mere playthings of male characters. Recently I asked my 15-year-old granddaughter what she felt should happen in operas such as these, which have beautiful music but tasteless presentations of women. Her reply was "keep the music and change the story". It truly time to change the story of how we choose to present women in all aspects of opera.

Jillian Grogan, Albert Park

More lunacy from the PC

Drama in opera is frequently violent, to men just as much as women. The photo (with your article) of a scene from Tosca refers to violence done to the heroine, but fails to mention that her lover, Cavaradossi, suffers torture far worse than her "attempted rape" by the villain, Scarpia, who hardly gets to first base before Tosca kills him. Tosca's suicide is her personal choice after Cavaradossi is executed by firing squad.

No major opera company can survive if it does not regularly perform popular operas of the past. Let real opera lovers stand up and protest against this latest lunacy from the politically correct. Dramatic music should be performed, presented and judged on merit, not subject matter or gender quotas. If these "more than 190 leading lights" have their way, the only opera allowed in future may be confined to small theatres in front of smaller audiences, many of whom would much prefer to hear Mozart, Wagner, Verdi or Puccini.

David Stanhope, Robertson, NSW

What defines a 'mandate'?

Now that combat has resumed in federal Parliament, we are likely to hear "our mandate" (Comment, 1/7) rolled out as heavy artillery.

In the recent election: 41.44per cent of formal votes (about 5.9million) gave first preference to the Coalition; 33.34per cent of formal votes (about 4.7million) gave first preference to Labor; and 25.25per cent (nearly3.6 million) of formal votes gave first preference to other parties.

Only when those nearly 3.6million Australians could not get their first preference did working down through their lower preferences lead to the two-party preferred vote of 7.3million for the Coalition and 6.9million for Labor.

The majority of lower house seats certainly gave the Coalition government. But it was not the first preference of about 8.3 million votes counted – a majority. Responsible use of "mandate" requires respect for voters.

David Merritt, Nunawading

When silence is golden

Carol Oliver (Letters, 1/7) states the crux of the problem with Israel Folau's reported utterances. There are "boundaries in society" and they are good manners and a sense of discretion. No matter what one is thinking, sometimes it is better to stay silent and keep the peace.

Carol Andrews, Northcote

Words cause real pain

Readers often quote Voltaire as saying: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it" (Letters, 26/6). It is generally agreed that he did not say this. However, renowned writer Evelyn Beatrice Hall said in her book, The Friends of Voltaire, that he should have said it.

Free speech is a privilege and requires eternal vigilance. It should be responsible, accountable and factual, especially in these days of "miracle" communications, hoax news and the so-called right to say anything, no matter that words can cause lifelong suffering and even death.

Stan Marks, Caulfield

Opening the floodgates

The owner of Haunted Bookshop has lodged a religious discrimination complaint with the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission claiming he was refused a lease on a new shop because of the landlord's spiritual beliefs (The Age, 2/7). The owner is entitled to do this, but what happens next?

If the complaint is rejected, does that set a dangerous precedent, as has been argued over the same-sex marriage issue, that an individual can discriminate on the basis of their beliefs. Where will the line between a "business" or "profession" and an individual's beliefs be drawn?

If the commission finds in favour of the landlord, I fear it will be carte blanche for discrimination to occur on all levels from rental properties to being served in a retail premises. Surely common sense must prevail.

Steven Haby, Gisborne

Safer with your lights on

Why is it not mandatory for cyclists to wear high vis clothes and have their lights on at all times (not just at night)? This would help motorists see them more easily at all times, especially in the early morning and late afternoon. Surely anything that will help reduce the number of accidents is worth it.

Linda Reynolds, Croydon Hills

Keep the footy simple

If the football hits the inside of the goal post as it goes through, or gets touched by a player as it goes through, it is a goal. If the ball hits the goalpost and bounces back into the playing area, it is play on. Simple really. More footy, less technology, please.

Denis Hanrahan, Ivanhoe

AND ANOTHER THING

World

And where are the clowns? Quick, send in the clowns. Don't bother, they're here.

Bill Davis, Ballarat

Trump and Kim, two peas in a pod.

Wendy Brennan, Bendigo

Re the crackdown on fake doctors. Can we expect a crackdown on fake POTUS?

Rosemary Clerehan, Armadale

A gold star to Bob Carr for his warning about Trump and "the global mess".

Rosemary Taylor, Castlemaine

Let's hope ScoMo isn't playing the monkey to Trump's organ grinder.

Alex Njoo, St Kilda

I love Dyson's cartoon with Trump thinking Melbourne is in Florida (29/6). ScoMo, you're dreaming.

David Kitchen, Violet Town

Politics

Labor supporting tax cuts: "These are our principles. If you don't like them, we have others."

David Mitchell, Moe

Which services will be cut if billions are blown on "tax relief"?

Rod Oaten, North Carlton

If you need to tell people you have a mandate, then clearly you don't.

Nicholas Melaluka, Fairfield

How is building a third runway (28/6) consistent with reducing the use of fossil fuels?

Graham Parton, Beechworth

One politician lying, Peter Johns (29/6)? Just as likely they're both lying.

Marcel Hoog Antink, Portland

Now that Mr Squiggle is on the $2coin, can we assume this is the government's gold coin donation to the ABC?

Alexander McLeod, Point Lonsdale

Furthermore

I'm glad Sami puts on "pre-ironed" clothes (ABC promo). "Post ironed" would seem pointless.

John McCallum, Strathdale

Tom Gleeson's successful campaign for the Gold Logie proves the award is a joke – literally.

Geoff Phillips, Wonga Park

Strawberries from Japan (1/7). Coal to Adani.

Dawn Evans, Geelong

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