The Black Flag rises.

We can't expect politicians to reform the prison system, ideas have to come from people who care, not everyone is happy to have more and bigger prisons. Superprisons may be better value for money, if they only have to pay one TV licence.

The primary purpose of prison is protection of the public by removing dangerous people from society. Some are too soon released back on the public, and without warning. Increasing length of sentences has its place, but ideally, dangerous criminals need to be persuaded not to re-offend.

Numbers are a problem, with too few staff, the prison service struggles to perform adequately. In recent years, the problem of coping with foreign, extremist and terrorism related prisoners has added to the mix.

Some prisoners suddenly wake up to realise they've wasted years committing crimes and doing prison time. Anything that helps those individuals realise it sooner and removes them from the system must be helpful.  

We need a 21st century prison reformer -!!!! That has to be someone of authority and who is acceptable to the government of the day and has the right purpose of mind. A tall order - but necessary.
For a prisoner to 'like' society and its citizens they must first begin by liking themselves. It's self-respect that leads to respect for others. Ergo - the problem is 'menthol attitudes'. Wake them up to smell the mint. Mentors are needed with the right training in psychoanalysis.
We have reformed the prison conditions. Now is the time to reform the prisoner himself.
But with the world itself in the state in which we find it I see no chance for 'starting at the bottom' with the 'people' themselves.
A direct analogy would be cavemen living in palaces. We've raised the living stand for the majority and done nothing to 'raise' his awareness of self or his neighbour. Or as someone on here said - you can put a pig in a posh style sty but it's still a pig.

Yes, if things like the prison service are to be improved, someone will have to take an informed interest. The public may have become used to expecting someone 'higher up' or 'official' to sort things out, but, that doesn't always work.

The snag with prison reform is that it requires, amongst other things, a hard headed, realistic approach. Some people commit crimes that justice, practicality and common sense all demand they be imprisoned for life, story end of.

There will always be certain crimes which the general public will expect to exact 'full' restitution in the form of 'life' imprisonment. Of that there is no doubt. With these it should be possible (always and providing they are not 'menthol') to keep them in the prison confines and teach them to teach others to rehabilitate when 'letting them out' isn't an option. There are always ways and means without resorting to solitary when the person is of reasonably sound mind. But to do any of this requires the resources which the public may baulk at when so many other things require urgent action also.

Crime and punishment is an expensive business. If we lived in a world without, or at least with very little of it, it would be a very different story. But what sort of story would it be?

Fiction.

And so we go full circle to return whence we came. When man has evolved to use his head in concert with his heart perhaps then. Meanwhile - the dance goes on.