I could not agree more with Shirley Pickett, Letters 21 March. She wrote that she would like to hear other people’s opinion; here is mine.

I feel sorry for the police officers who work hard to get these people where they should be – locked up in the slammer for the long duration.

We all know there are some judges who couldn’t judge a dog show with one entrant.

I await the first community service sentence for murder and I am not joking. However, I believe that the take over of our justice system by naive, liberal, out of touch politicians with no experience of the harsh truths of the real world most of us inhabit leave many of our judges with no choice. Let me explain why.

Our prisons are full to the brim with repeat offenders as well as the criminal low life of all of Europe and beyond. There is no more room in our jails, hence the directive to the judiciary in soft sentencing. Add to that the fact that present day prison is nothing more than an enclosed holiday camp where you are better fed than most pensioners and have no utility bills or TV license to pay. Not to mention if the prison officer does not call you mister and says boo to you, you can throw away your swag bag and retire for life on the compensation. I am also assured by a personal friend who went to do a machine repair in a prison that the prison had more social facilities than our clubs in Swindon. No offence to our excellent Swindon clubs, but you get the gist of my point.

I am sure Shirley we all agree with you, the exception being our political ‘we know best’ rulers.

Bill Williams, Merlin Way, Swindon