SIR -- Magistrate John Johnson had some welcome words of wisdom in his retirement speech featured on your front page (Monday, June 19) After his 32 years on the bench, he clearly knows his stuff. But it is hard to see vast resources being injected into the system to tackle the crisis within our criminal justice system. What is lacking is not a recognition of the nature of the problem, but a general cynicism towards offenders which creates resentment towards funding the activities which may help them get their lives back on line. A lot of people in prison are not bad people but have done bad things. Many are capable of a constructive future as good citizens if only the help was available. Some have had such a appalling start in life prison was almost their destiny. A major cause of crime is drugs and alcohol and the services available to help those with addiction are limited.
ANDREW BROWN,
Worcester.
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