London's bastilles
Sir: It's a deceptively simple and beguiling idea that there is nothing wrong with our prison system that criminals themselves can't cure through de- sisting from crime (Mr Heaton's letter, 21 April). But meanwhile it hardly relieves a civilised society of its obligation to deal with its rebels a little more humanely and a great deal more constructively. Otherwise, what logic would there be in not restor- ing the stocks or in not introducing even grosser forms of physical torture?
Besides, it simply isn't true that whoever risks a prison sentence knows what to expect. Lord Mount- batten's reference to the intolerable hygienic arrangements in prisons is the first official admis- sion there has ever been of this fact. And were the train robbers, and others, at present being held in maximum security blocks, forewarned of 'conditions . . . such as no country with a record of civilised behaviour ought to tolerate any longer than is absolutely essential as a stop-gap measure.' (Mount- batten again.) It is no use arguing that these men -baYe'lliked for what they're getting. They haven't, by any means all of them, tried or threatened to ,escape.
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