A Dalston vicar asked parishioners to send him postcards stating what they thought about prison sentences.
In his parish magazine, Rev Donald Pateman of St Mark’s Church in Sandringham Road wrote of: “The astonishing way in which people who commit crimes are treated with the utmost generosity and consideration.”
He said magistrates “accept almost any cock-and-bull story”. His methods for a youth who had been fined £15 for an assault on a cinema manager were somewhat different.
He said: “We would not send this young hooligan to prison as he would then have to be supported by the taxpayers. We would, as a first measure give him a dozen strokes of the birch. A good, stiff dose of sheer physical pain, followed by a week of discomfort, would do him far more good than this ‘chicken feed’ fine of £15.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here