eh?

The French penal system is appalling - it is the worst among EU member states, it has a suicide rate some six times higher than among the EU prison population. Are you saying that there are more mentally ill prisoners in French prisons than among other prison populations in the EU? For your figures to hold true, the six times higher suicide rate in French prisons is because the French prison population has a higher portion who are mentally ill than other EU prisons. Sorry, I don't see any supporting evidence in your figures to support that conclusion.

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No the figure states six times the national rate of France The article says a figure of 80% and to the best of my knowledge the UK's jails aren't at anything like that level Not solely for that reason but mental illness is a major contributor to suicidal tendancies

My misread on the six times national (French, not EU) average, but the article is quite clear, "France has Europe's highest suicide rate among prisoners." In addition, in France "... unsentenced prisoners made up 40 percent of the French prison population, one of the highest such rates among industrialized countries." (Source: Human Rights Watch).

http://www.hrw.org/wr2k1/special/prisons.html

Are you disputing the fact that the French penal system is the worst in the EU and has the highest prisoner suicide rate among EU member states?


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No they are the stats quoted what I am saying is they are like that for many reasons not because they aren't 4 star. They are being quoted as a blanket figure and not on parity basis. They are certainly not off the page.

I think the French are the worst at everything. Can't believe I'm defending them

But you do such a good job!

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I'm off to scrub my self with carbolic but hey thats Lifebouy

I don't believe in capital punishment. He should have been spared along with everyone else on death row. I think he was of more use to society through his anti gang work, than he is dead.

I do however think life behind bars, should mean LIFE, not 25 years or whatever.

Dunno.

What?

But what of all the innocents they have murdered. What of the family Tookie called and that innocent convenience store clerk? Their only guilt was being in the wrong place or having something that he wanted.

Eh?

But surely if they're innocent then they haven't murdered any innocents...

Oi! Watch it!

They dont matter. We just have to think about the poor misunderstood legally challenged (musnt call them criminals). They didnt mean to do it...society made them do it. They are good boys and girls really. If only they had the chance....

Yeah right. Funny how theres millions of impoverished kids brought up in lower class familes every year who dont turn out to be murderers and rapists. Bastards like Tookie will never be normal productive humans no matter how much they get or how many opportunites they are givent they will always turn to crime and murder.