Another day another shortsighted politician whoring for votes

Douglas Carswell MP for the leafy suburb of Clacton criticizes the report by the highly respected Women's Justice Taskforce into the Sentencing Commission's Review. The report was welcomed by the normally conservative Magistrate's Association,  who said

"The Magistrates’ Association endorses the proposals in the final report of the Women’s Justice Taskforce. Magistrates applaud the work done by women’s centres and, where they are available and suitable, welcome alternatives to custody for vulnerable defendants or those who are sole carers for dependants, especially children. We note with approval the recommendation of increased provision of bail accommodation which would give viable alternatives in more instances to remands in custody."   

Their deputy chairman Malcolm Richardson stated

“We completely agree that provision is needed beyond the current centres, and would suggest as a matter of urgency that such provision is made available throughout the country to remove the unfairness of the full range of sentencing options being available in only some cases - effectively resulting in postcode sentencing”.

The report, which clearly Mr Carswell has not read, doesn't call on a blanket ban on custodial sentences for all women, but when politicians pander to the extremities of misogyny and retribution in a cheap attempt to garner votes from the hang'em, flog 'em, eat 'em for breakfast Daily Fail reading public, perhaps someone might take this young fresh-blooded bull by the horns and lock  him up for a couple of quiet, Twitter-less nights, in the recesses of HMP Wormwood Scrubs. He criticizes the Prison Reform Trust, perhaps the most respected charity in the field of criminal justice with cross-party support, for being a bunch of left wing loonies and *ironically* suggests we leave sentencing in their hands. Rather them than a right-wing-nut with no idea of what the public wants.*  Then tell us about how easy prison is. This from the man who makes no mystery of his contempt for the judiciary who are struggling to find alternatives for prison, because however you look at it, it is expensive and it doesn't work at over £56 000 a pop a year, that'll buy you a lot of camouflage, Dougie Ducks.
 

So out of touch with what people want,  but then doesn't really matter does it? It's the exclusive politics of the political elite, not as elected representatives of your constituency

*An  ICM poll, commissioned by SmartJustice, revealed that most people support alternatives to prison for non-violent offenders. 86% of 1,000 people polled were in favour of local centres for women where they could break addictions, receive mental health treatment, gain skills and get out of debt.