Crime and justice
The BNP claims it would:
- Free the police and courts from the politically correct straitjacket which is stopping them from doing their jobs properly;
- End the liberal fixation with the “rights” of criminals and replace it with concern for the rights of victims – and the right of innocent people not to become victims;
- Re-introduce corporal punishment for petty criminals and vandals;
- Restore capital punishment for paedophiles, terrorists and murderers as an option for judges in cases where their guilt is proven beyond dispute (such as with DNA or other compelling evidence).
- Make prisons more austere and make criminals serve their full sentences. Offenders will be made to understand that they are being punished and not rewarded with a state-subsidised holiday for their crimes;
- Use electronically tagged “chain gangs” to provide labour for projects such as coastal defences;
- Introduce automatic prison sentences for all repeat offenders;
- Put police back on the streets and remove their current political correctness shackles;
- Allow victims of crime full freedom to defend themselves and their property;
- Make joint custody of children the norm in divorce cases;
- Grant anonymity to those accused of crimes until they are convicted;
- Make police concentrate on real criminals and serve the public, not the government’s political aspirations.
Challenge Crime & Justice
Brian Caton, General Secretary of the Prison Officers’ Association, replies:
Bearing in mind so many of their members have spent time in prison, I find it hard to believe the BNP is so wrong on this issue.
They are mistaken if they think that by making prison tougher, by inflicting pain on prisoners and by sending them out into the community in chain gangs, they will cut the number of crimes being committed. If this was the case, why were there so many criminals in Victorian and Edwardian times? And why are the prisons full in the United States?
Prisoners should be treated with respect and dignity, which is why I’m very concerned at the idea of society giving the keys to control people’s lives to a racist bigot. This means we would be opening the door to violence and intimidation against people of a certain colour, religion or sexual orientation.
BNP members might wear a shirt and tie now but the vast majority I’ve seen on display are the same people who our members are locking up on the landings of our prisons. And that’s the best place for them.
The POA can be contacted for interviews and briefings on the prison system at poauk.org.uk
