Asbos, electronic tagging, compulsory community work, soft sentencing and early release of very dangerous criminals are but a few of this government's ill-conceived policies aimed at easing prison over crowding.
So why on earth do they plan to exacerbate the the problem by converting a much needed prison establishment such as Ashwell into a cushy retreat for asylum seekers? It defies all rationality.
Perhaps they have exhausted the stock of plush Mayfair
mansions and in desperation are looking further afield to accommodate the rising tide of asylum seekers that their open door policy has encouraged to turn up here.
Instead of trying to block the arrival of a few thousand Gurkhas, who incidentally have earned the right to come here, I suggest this "cack handed" government put these loyal servants of the nation to good use.
First of all pull down the shutters, and then employ the Gurkhas as border security to divert this burden on our overstretched resources to perhaps one of our EU partners.
Then perhaps they may be able to manage the funding to redress the shameful statistic of four in 10 inner city children living in poverty and give the pensioners of this land, the very ones who fought for the freedom we all take for granted, a fair deal.
Nigel Pleasants
Lonsdale Way,
Oakham
