Prisoners should pay £40,000 a year says Ukip MEP Bill Etheridge
A West Midlands MEP who hopes to succeed Nigel Farage as Ukip leader has announced a series of radical jail reforms – including charging prisoners £40,000-a-year during their sentences.
Published
Bill Etheridge says he wants to see "a return to the days" when prison focused first and foremost on punishment, and vowed to "rehabilitate without using significant financial resources".
His measures include:
Removing all luxuries from jails, including all electronic devices
An automatic 10-year sentence increase for prisoners who attack prison officers
Locking prisoners in their cells for the first six months of sentences
Banning all visits over the same period
A £40,000 annual charge on prisoners to be levied until their assets are depleted
