should there be a jubilee amnesty?

[Pickman's model]

25,000 prisoners in india were freed to celebrate queen victoria's golden jubilee in 1887:

(united ireland, 19.2.1887)

perhaps the government might consider releasing all prisoners inside for debt (council tax, owing fines, etc) for queen elizabeth's platinum jubilee. after all, we're always told how shitty things were in victorian times. if we really have progressed in the past 135 years an amnesty for debt is the least the government should do. and it might readily be expanded to all civil prisoners and people inside for non-violent theft (shoplifting and the like).

 

[Magnus McGinty]

Imprisoning folk for debt doesn’t seem very cost effective.

 

[not-bono-ever]

Debt and ownership are kinda fundamental the upkeep of this system. Offences against people are a sideshow

 

[platinumsage]

Not all proposed amnesties were granted:

 

[friedaweed]

Maybe this is what Boris is banking on.

 

[maomao]

Imprisoning folk for debt doesn’t seem very cost effective.

I was telling eleven-year-olds about Charles Dickens' dad the other day and they were amusingly incensed about the logic of stopping someone from earning money as a punishment for owing money.

 

[Pickman's model]

Not all proposed amnesties were granted:

View attachment 306382

no one said they were. and your article omits the fact that some years earlier there had been major amnesties of fenian prisoners.

 

[platinumsage]

no one said they were. and your article omits the fact that some years earlier there had been major amnesties of fenian prisoners.

Yeah but for the 1935 silver jubilee there was an amnesty for Aussie Rules footballers for players disqualified for offences committed on the field.

 

[Pickman's model]

Yeah but for the 1935 silver jubilee there was an amnesty for Aussie Rules footballers for players disqualified for offences committed on the field.

there being then no australian rules footballers left unimprisoned

 

[Magnus McGinty]

I was telling eleven-year-olds about Charles Dickens' dad the other day and they were amusingly incensed about the logic of stopping someone from earning money as a punishment for owing money.

Also costs more to keep them inside than it would to give them a job.

 

[Pickman's model]

Also costs more to keep them inside than it would to give them a job.

most prisoners have a job. which is how firms relying on prison labour, eg wilkos, manage to be so cheap

 

[DotCommunist]

the usual idea was to have the prison conditions as fucked as possible so the family and friends can be persuaded to cough up for the release. If you've got P's you can have the room with the desk and cot, some cheese with your bread. If not its the cockroach ridden shitholes.

 

[platinumsage]

I think the lack of post-war jubilee amnesties is a direct result of the declining importance of royal jubilees. If we want more such amnesties I suppose we would need to start holding her majesty in higher regard.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

most prisoners have a job. which is how firms relying on prison labour, eg wilkos, manage to be so cheap

Well yeah, but the prisoners tend not to benefit in any way from it.

 

[Pickman's model]

Well yeah, but the prisoners tend not to benefit in any way from it.

i think it is debateable how much people working outside prisons benefit from their jobs.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

i think it is debateable how much people working outside prisons benefit from their jobs.

Well getting paid helps.

 

[two sheds]

I think it's an excellent idea - needs a "Dear Your Maj" letter

 

[Pickman's model]

getting paid well helps.

c4u

 

[Pickman's model]

I think it's an excellent idea - needs a "Dear Your Maj" letter

darling fascist bullyboy...

 

[maomao]

Also costs more to keep them inside than it would to give them a job.

Yes, but the state spending money to protect the investments of capital is normal; it's what it's there for.

 

[bluescreen]

I think it's an excellent idea - needs a "Dear Your Maj" letter

Maybe write to the Archbishop of Canterbury and press him to do something useful for a change. She may listen to him. But whether the government would listen to her or to anyone at all is another matter.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

c4u

I think even minimum wage is preferable to working for nothing whilst banged up. Which is the context.

 

[bluescreen]

Anyone know anything about this organisation?

Home - Debt Justice

Debt Justice, formerly Jubilee Debt Campaign, exists to build collective power to end debt that exploits people and the planet

jubileedebt.org.uk

 

[Pickman's model]

I think even minimum wage is preferable to working for nothing whilst banged up. Which is the context.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

View attachment 306391

I’m not defending 9 to 5 employment!
But prisoners working for nowt to the benefit of profit making companies being several shades worse than at least having some cash in your pocket.

 

[belboid]

I saw the thread title and thought for a second that dear pickman's was going soft and allowing one royal to escape the trip to Grytviken. How happy I was to be disobliged.

 

[ElizabethofYork]

darling fascist bullyboy...

Boomshanka!

 

[belboid]

Anyone know anything about this organisation?

Home - Debt Justice

Debt Justice, formerly Jubilee Debt Campaign, exists to build collective power to end debt that exploits people and the planet

jubileedebt.org.uk

offspring of the millennium campaign to cancel third world debt (the jubilee being that of the catholic church, even tho said church wasn't founded for another 34 years or so))