IT does seem extraordinary that anyone could ever have even considered housing convicted paedophiles in hostels next to schools - let alone acted on it. It is extraordinary enough that many are in hostels at all, or that hostels have been built next to schools - or vice versa - in the first place.. Are we so short of land that we have no better alternative than to cram society's worst in with society's most vulnerable - not least when members of one group are in the habit of preying on the other?
Whatever happened to common sense - or have we now become so politically "correct" that the rehabilitation of offenders is seen to take precedence over the safety of children?
It is, of course, precisely this sort of nonsensical "policy" which has given rise to demands for a so-called "Sarah's Law" whereby parents and guardians are given access to information about paedophiles in their community.
There has been much sanctimonious wringing of hands over this over the past few years, with the overriding objection being that it might give rise to a lynch-mob mentality.
If a young child were to go missing it might very well do. But really there should be no need for communities to know where paedophiles are except that they are nowhere near their children and in no danger of being let back out into society until everyone can be quite sure they pose no further danger.
With all the talk about overcrowded prisons, early release dates, re-offending and lack of supervision stemming from a succession of scandals due to government incompetence, misreadings of human rights and data protection legislation, inept policing and wholly inappropriate sentencing, we are losing sight of the obvious: the only people who absolutely must be locked up are those who are truly dangerous. And they should be incarcerated indefinitely (albeit humanely).
This should apply to any random killer or kidnapper, knife or gun-wielder, and just about every sex offender. Most of the rest can serve out meaningful sentences in their communities under their supervision (and not be allowed off on foreign holidays either).
We really don't need to build dozens of hugely expensive new prisons which will drain our economy for decades. We just need to repeal a few absurd laws, change our sentencing policy, appoint sensible police chiefs and judges and put victims and society's vulnerable first.
