Should internment be introduced for suspected gangland criminals?

uln

Internment of republicans in Northern Ireland during the 1970s backfired because it allowed those un-convicted of any offence to become heroes e.g. Gerry Adams.

We have a serious gangland crime situation in Ireland right now. Gardai resources are stretched to breaking point by the increasing viciousness of criminals. Practices such as early release (due to shortage of prison places) and the imposition of suspended and concurrent sentences are not acting as a sufficient deterrent for criminals.

I believe in civil liberties but feel at this stage that internment for suspected gangland figures would enable us to make significant inroads into crime in Ireland. We do not need to worry about creating heroes in the Gerry Adams mould (because no one will have sympathy for violent thugs), but the system would need to be carefully designed and monitored to ensure there was no abuse by Gardai.

Should we give serious consideration to re-introducing internment for suspected violent criminals? Imagine what a safer place Ireland could become overnight if the Gardai were allowed to intern the most dangerous 500 criminal suspects in the country.

Views?

Pauleta

Yes

MagicMarker

That would be an ecumenical matter.

Wolfe Tone

No, its just stupid on every level.

You already have (too strict in my opinion) bail laws.


Internment is abhorrent, it is punishing people who are innocent with the harshest punishment the state can impose.

FatherLen

views?
this had 4 views when i clicked into it..

The King of Moo

It would be nice if they could definitely lock up the 500 most dangerous criminals, but first, if you're rounding up people you suspect of being criminals, how can you be sure you get them all, and have a good criminal to suspect ratio?

Second, I think it would be too hard to monitor for abuses, and a lot could be gotten away with (not saying guards would definitely abuse their power).

I think it'd just make things worse. It's often difficult to pin crimes on gang leaders so they'd end up back out after a while, and you'd also probably end up with a lot of embittered innocent young coming out after being locked up for looking dodgy.

Sunnyisland

I cant see it working, Who decides who are Top gangland criminals or not, The garda or paul williams. There would be to many pitfalls in this sort of operation and would suggest that the real Top gangsters wouldn't be touched. Sure dont most live abroad anyway.

OutlawPete

Eh, no.

I wouldn't trust the Gardai with such power. Think you'd find a tenfold increase in the amount of people suddenly suspected of gangland crimes if they did.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

uln wrote: »

Internment of republicans in Northern Ireland during the 1970s backfired because it allowed those un-convicted of any offence to become heroes e.g. Gerry Adams.

We have a serious gangland crime situation in Ireland right now. Gardai resources are stretched to breaking point by the increasing viciousness of criminals. Practices such as early release (due to shortage of prison places) and the imposition of suspended and concurrent sentences are not acting as a sufficient deterrent for criminals.

I believe in civil liberties but feel at this stage that internment for suspected gangland figures would enable us to make significant inroads into crime in Ireland. We do not need to worry about creating heroes in the Gerry Adams mould, but the system would need to be carefully designed and monitored to ensure there was no abuse by Gardai.

Should we give serious consideration to re-introducing internment for suspected violent criminals? Imagine what a safer place Ireland could become overnight if the Gardai were allowed to intern the most dangerous 500 criminal suspects in the country.

Views?

So... you start off by saying it didn't work in the past and then try to promote the idea of using it now...?

What a ridiculous proposition. Perhaps we need to re-evaluate ourselves as a society and ask questions such as: what drives people to violent crime? Are our laws just or is imprisonment a disproportionate response to some relatively harmless acts, which clogs up the prison system and forces truly dangerous people to be released early?

How do you prove the guilt of a suspect without the due process of a trial (which is a human right)? Who determines whether or not to intern a person, if not a jury?

I'm of the opinion that the education system should be focussing more on reason, critical thinking and science - combined with an abolition of the points system - so kids grow up not to be mindless, drooling scumtards.

Frank Black

Of course not.
But we should have stronger prison sentences for people who are convicted of violent crimes/intimidation of witnesses or carrying illegal weapons.
Internment shouldn’t be used to paper over the cracks in our legal system.

Nijmegen

Yes - It's a good sentiment.

No - It's a bad idea.

iPlop

black francis wrote: »

But we should have stronger prison sentences

Problem is the prisons are full ,they're letting some people out early which is never reported on.I bet the Judges have been asked to relax a bit on some crimes.The need to build a proper American style high security prison ,two or three of them.

breadandjam

No- thin end of the wedge