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You the Jury September 2009 - Should life in prison mean life?

Should serious criminals be given a second chance, or is the only way they can pay for their crimes to stay in jail? Interviews by Elizabeth Openshaw

No

Bobby Cummines, 57, was in and out of prison between 1969 and 1988, his longest stretch being 12 years for armed robbery. He was classed as one of Britain's most dangerous men during that time. Now he is chief executive of Unlock, the National Association of Reformed Offenders. Bobby, who has an 18-year-old daughter Sophie, lives with his wife, Ami, and son, Kai, in Kent.

As a teenager I was involved in street gang violence, organised 13 bank robberies, and was sentenced to seven and a half years for gang-related manslaughter. People serving life sentences surrounded me but most were for domestic murders - they'd never committed a crime before, and never would again. What is the point of keeping them locked up for years? Unlike dangerous or serial offenders they didn't pose a real threat to society, instead they were a drain on resources.

By working with my probation and education officers, I began to see the good in people. They showed me humanity, helped me respect myself and others, whereas before I'd only known brutality. Brutality that fuelled the choices I'd made that led me to prison in the first place. After I was released, the birth of my daughter focused my determination to change. I looked at her, the most beautiful thing in my life, and swore she'd never visit me in prison. It was tough but I worked hard and made a success of commodity and property businesses. Then I wanted to put something back into society so, in 2000, I founded Unlock. We help ex-offenders with everything from forming relationships to getting and staying in a job - so they can be valuable members of society again. It's about humanising people, getting them to see their own worth and that of other people. I've also advised Home Affairs select committees on rehabilitation.

Prison should be about rehabilitation, not retribution. The public must be protected but we, as a society, have a responsibility for people who commit crimes - they're not born criminals so it's important to look beyond the conviction. If rehabilitation happened, crime would be reducing not increasing.

If you kill someone, that destroys a family. When you send someone to prison for life, that destroys another family. If you've gone through the pain and misery of losing a loved one, would you want to do that to someone else?

Yes

Debra Coward's daughter, Jolene Colpus, was 19 when she was stabbed to death in 2006. Her attacker was sentenced to life for murder. Debra, 45, a shop assistant, lives with her husband Paul, 46, in Salisbury.

I last saw Jolene a few months before she died. I'd moved away from the area where she had a flat. When I found out she was dead, I was horrified and distraught - and then I heard what had happened. I attended the court case every day to hear what her murderer, Kieran Simei, had to say. He was caught on CCTV stabbing Jolene after she'd answered the door. Simei was a drug dealer who had dealings with Jolene's best friend. Simei was on parole at the time for another stabbing, for which he'd got two years. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter but he was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life.

It felt right that it should be a life for a life, but it doesn't work out that way. The judge recommended Simei, 22, serves a minimum of 17 years but, if he shows signs of good behaviour and remorse in prison, he could be out by the time he's 40. That's not right. He should be in there until he dies. When he comes out he'll still be young enough to marry, have kids, make a new life for himself, maybe even commit other crimes. My daughter will never have a life, be married, or have children. Jolene was doing a hair and beauty course, and was hoping to become a hairdresser.

Six months before Jolene was killed, I felt like my life was just starting. At 42, I married Paul. If Simei is in his 40s when he's released, he could do the same, and that's not fair. Chances are he'd commit more crimes, as he's a serial offender. He's been done for carrying scalpels, kitchen knives, not to mention the first stabbing. His excuse is, "I'm a little guy so I need to carry big knives." With that mentality, he should never come out. He's not going to change. He could do it again and destroy another family. He didn't care what he did, he openly admits carrying knives; he even came to court with two. His reason for stabbing Jolene was because his dad had been murdered and this is how it has affected him.

Life should be life until they die in prison. Anyone who takes a life deserves to lose all their freedom, as the people who are dead will never see any kind of life. Simei killed my daughter. Why should he come out and have a life when Jolene never will?

Should life in prison mean life? (CLOSED)

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