E-Mail to Home Office Re Abolishment of Female Prisons (Corston Report) .. Please Assist ..

I sent an e-mail to the Home Office (UK) which are hosting the Corston Report which proposes the "radically different, holistic, woman-centred" abolition of female prisons, effectively creating female immunity from the law. It also proposes filling these newly-vacant prisons up with men.

I contacted the Home Office via its Contact Page, filing it under the subject area, "Science, research and statistics". You might consider contacting them too if you are opposed to this proposal on the basis that it is discriminatory of men and sexist.

Feel free to copy-and-paste:

Dear Sir/Madam,

This is a response to Baroness Jean Corston's report of March 13. I would like to register opposition to it on a number of fundamental levels.

The proposal to close all of Britain's 14 women's prison is a radical one, which no doubt only a radicial individual such as Joan Corston, could propose in the manner she did.

I take serious issue with Corston's proposal of "community punishment" in "community units". The idea of "units" needs to be defined in clear language. I find it very concerning, from a point of view of justice, fairness and maintaining social order, that a woman who committed fraud, murder or other serious criminal offenses should be punished with "confinement in community units".

Clearly a direct consequence, or perhaps objective, of the proposal is a two-tier legal and judicial system: One for women and one for men. In fact, Corston's proposals move very close to creating immunity for women in society. This is a very objectable idea on equality, democratic and legal levels. I would go as far as saying that such a radically unsound proposal should never have seen the light of day on a Governmental level.

The suicides of six women in Styal, which apparently inspired Corston, is indeed emotionally powerful. It is only an emotional device however, and we should look at the facts and statistics in an objective manner. Applying objectivity instead of emotion, we will see that her proposal is fundamentally wrong.

The rate of suicide for male prisoners is approximately equal, and in many cases greater, than the rate for women. That's assuming a prison population of 69,600 male and 4,400 female, as were the figures in November 2003. Applying a suicide rate of 4 for women (2006) this leaves a rate of 0.09%. Applying a suicide rate of 81 for men (2004) this leaves a rate of 0.12%. By Corston's logic, which seems to be centred on suicide rate, surely the matter of male suicide needs just as urgent an address?

Please take note, also, while we are concentrating on suicide rates, that suicide among males at all age groups in the general population, are as high as 3-4 higher than for females. Focus on this issue, and funding, is sorely needed.

This issue has been addressed on Blogs such as the 'Male Rights Network' and 'Another Day In The Jungle', where you will see there is reasoned opposition to your proposal. Perhaps, if you want to judge the public opinion to some extent, you will consider these blogs as representative.

Corston's proposal is contemptous of any reasonable idea of justice and has no place in a democratic, fair society. Furthermore, the use of suicide as an emotional-trigger is further abused by the fact that men commit suicide in UK prisons at a rate the same as, or greater than, that of female prisoners. One must also consider that the actual suicide numbers - 6 times more lives were lost to suicide in male prisons (2004, 81 male vs. 13 female)

As an individual, I reject all the central tenets of Corston's report. I do think that any reasonable individual, or Government administration, will feel the same way when informed of the facts.

Yours faithfully
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