OWING to the fact that our prisons are full to overflowing and millions are being let our before their sentences have run out, is this the answer to the problem?
During World War II I was a day over on my leave and had to spend 14 days in The Glass House. The one I was in was in Barlinie in Scotland. The main Glass House was in Aldershot.
On entering the building you had to do everything at the double (ru
nning). They threw a sugar sack at you and yelled: "Fill it with straw," and that was your bed and mattress all in one. You got two old army blankets and you slept on that on the floor. Side by side along the walls of the room.
6am outside in the cold, PT in vest and shorts for one hour. PT then breakfast, about a cup of unsweetened porridge and one slice of bread, then out for drill on the double until dinner time, then after dinner drill again.
The drill sergeant majors favourite shout was, 'If you broke your mother's heart you will not break mine.'
There was a glass house at Chorley in Lancashire, an old cotton mill, no glass in the windows thick greasy floors to clean everyday. No TV, no radio, no electric lights not much grub.
You were glad to get out back to your battalion and promise yourself, 'I am not going back there again'.
There were no human rights or do-gooders about in them days, they were all tucked away in good safe jobs.
Today's society has no idea today how to deal with these yobs and knife thugs - a few days in a glass house would cure them.
JACK BUNN
High Street
HANGING HEATON The full article contains 300 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
