"Who cares whether or not prison 'works'?" I suggest that the victims of reoffending do.

Of course, criminals need to be punished, but that is for the satisfaction of society rather than the rehabilitation of offenders. Prison does not decrease reoffending – in fact it may even increase it – unless people are locked up for life (and there are some who should be).

Maybe we need a combination of punishment and rehabilitation, such as a term in prison in a hard, austere (but not brutal or brutalising) regime, followed by an indefinite period of education, PROPER community service and curfews, until the individual has demonstrated that the message has got home.

That way we would, hopefully, cut down the number of victims of reoffending and provide the offender with the knowledge, the desire and the hope to lead a useful and crime-free life.

All we need to do this is the will and the money – so, of course, it won't happen. Nor will effective tackling of the causes of crime.