One For The Gradgrinds*

Most misconceptions about the criminal justice system are not susceptible to factual correction, since those holding them are usually set in their views for one reason or another. But for those of you interested in the hows and whys of the prison population, here is a fascinating document (it's a pdf) that a fellow magistrate unearthed recently: MoJ Prison Document

Unfortunately, if you flooded the country with posters pointing out that average sentence lengths have increased considerably in recent years, nobody would believe you.


* "Now, what I want is, Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon Facts: nothing else will ever be of any service to them" - Hard Times (Dickens)