THE abolition of capital punishment, hard labour, treadmill and flogging for criminals has long since gone, and may never return.

Alternatives - community orders, tagging, ASBOs and the like - may be working to some degree, but not so with the persistent offender.

However, the idea of abolishing prisons across the board will only play into the hands of the hardened career criminals, and will give them more latitude to carry on their destructive ways in society.

There is always room for change when it comes to prisons, but some victims of crime are incarcerated in their own homes for life, physically or mentally, with no remission or reduced sentence.

A vast majority of our members of parliament and law-makers, who pass legislation of this kind, do not reside or socialise with us lower mortals, and some are subject to round-the-clock protection - some say they live in a fool's paradise.

Unless we come to our senses, there will be a breakdown in law and order not witnessed since the 18th and early 19th century, as portrayed graphically by the artist Hogarth. Reform, by all means, but not at the expense of the silent majority.

Kenneth Bowker,

Vesper Lane,

Huntington,

York.

Updated: 08:54 Monday, May 01, 2006