Why Was This Man In An 'open' Prison

[youngmafbog]

http://news.sky.com/story/1161451/child-killer-alan-john-giles-on-the-loose

// Police are hunting a child killer who is on the run from prison while serving two life sentences for kidnap and murder.

Alan John Giles, 56, fled from an "open" section of HMP Hewell, near Redditch, in Worcestershire, on Monday, West Mercia Police said.//

How on earth was this allowed to happen. Why wasn't he banged up good and proper.

Or would it have contravened the poor darlings Human rights?

You have to wonder at the quality of those making decisions.

[jim360]

As a member of the "ooman rights" brigade -- I don't really get Open Prisons either. Seems to me to be a contradiction in terms. And anyway, these stories keep happening, often enough at least to surely by now raise serious questions about the whole process. People escaping open prisons, or those who run away while on a day release, or the like.

I don't think it's about Human Rights -- but clearly the decision-making process needs to improve.

[ummmm]

It doesn't say how long he was sentenced to.

[youngmafbog]

Umm, top sentence above: 2 life sentences.

[jake-the-peg]

I think the question is what the tarrif was

Not sure of the details of this other than the child was 16 - remember there might not be a sexual element here

He could well have had a 20 year tarrif and have been put in an open prison after 16 years of perfect behaviour

Alternatively he could have been a dangerous psychopath put in an open prison after an administration bungle


Tempting as it is to rush to judgement - I would wait for some more details before deciding

[ummmm]

Jake - that's what I meant, thanks :-)

[LazyGun]

On the surface it does sound more than a little odd. Nor do I understand what they mean when they refer to an "open" section of the prison. I have heard of open prisons- institutions for those who have committed non-violent offences, those approaching the end of their sentence, those deemed unlikely to re-offend, but this person does not seem to fit any of those criteria, although the story talks about him being eligible for consideration for parole in a year. Served 12 years, but no indication of overall tariff.

All seems very odd.