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Ken Clarke: Fathers 'should not be jailed over child maintenance'
20 Jul 2010Fathers who refuse to pay child maintenance should not be sent to prison, Justice Secretary Ken Clarke suggested today.
Highlighting the need for "radical" reform of the criminal justice system, Mr Clarke said some prisoners are currently "far away from being there for serious crime".
Last month he pledged to "shut the revolving door of crime and reoffending" by locking up fewer offenders and using more community sentences.
During Commons question time, Labour former minister Kevin Brennan, MP for Cardiff West, asked: "Would you give the House three examples of the kind of criminals currently in jail who won't be in prison under your plans?"
Mr Clarke replied: "The last person I met in jail who clearly should not have been there had been sent there because he was in dispute with his ex-wife over the maintenance he was supposed to pay for their children.
"Well of course he was under an obligation to pay for his children but it wasn't the best use of prison, providing a place for him.
"And anybody who visits prison will find people who are there through a rather surprising combination of purposes - some far away from being there for serious crime."
The Justice Secretary said prison is the "most effective punishment we have for serious criminal offenders".
He added: "But what we have not paid enough attention to in recent years is how we actually at the same time minimise the risk of reoffending, seek to reform those in prisons and divert them from future crime, and eventually make sure there are better and more effective ways of dealing with those that are capable of being dealt with."
Reader views (4)
I spent 3 years dealing with the incompetant muppets of CMEC (formally the CSA) They could not organise a wet weekend in Margate!! They stuck a court order on my wages even though I paid, thus pi$$ing my employer off, on grossly over-estimated earnings. I had to struggle and continue to pay whilst they estimated a 36 week appeal estimation. After they did get it right, it then took me 6 months, 5 letters, and 36 phonecalls to get my money back. Dads should NOT be jailed on the say-so of this crazy CMEC ever!! Ken Clarke is right. Keep the jails more empty for longer sentences for sex offenders and child killers.. These are the real scumbags of the earth.. Theres lots of us Dads out here thats only wish is to remain part of our kids life after divorce. The CSA has been responsible for so many deaths over the years due to thier grossly over-estimated bills and heavy handedness.. :O(
- Fighting Dad, Southampton, UK, 20/07/2010 23:29
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They cannot pay Child maintenance from prison can they?
Maybe asset confiscation or car-crushing would be better.
- Anglo, Sussex England, 20/07/2010 19:43
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i dont't know whats in those cheroots what clarkie smokes or if he as just fell out the tree but that is part of the reason why our taxes are so high because all these who dont get support turn to the state for an handout and get it sooner than chase the fathers for money this goverment is becoming such a let down there starting to make that fool brown look good
- anon leicestershire, leicestershire, 20/07/2010 16:42
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The irresponsible Ken Clarke standing up for a lot of other irresponsibles.
- Phil Jones, London EU, 20/07/2010 16:32
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