should the UK have army penal regiments to allevaite the prison conditions?

Question

would this work? or just lead to SS Dirlwanger type problems?

Answer 1

No. The last time we did that we created the monster otherwise known as the Black and Tans who terrorised the good folk of Eire.

We do not need lunatics in the British Army.

Answer 2

No i don't think penal regiments would work , but i think your on the right lines - i think the government should bring back national service at the ages of 16 or 18 with a minimum of 2 years service, as the "youth" of today ( not all ) lack respect and discipline( which can lead to criminal behaviour ) which would definitely get sorted out in the services. On the prison problem i think anyone who breaks the law should be made to work of their debt to society, and i mean work( not sitting about smoking ciggies and watching TV ) - 8 hours of hard labour 6 days a week - no exceptions.

Answer 3

You can't just invent a regiment and man it with convicts. This is the british army you are talking about. There would be no discipline or proper command structure.

You could on the other hand train cons and integrate them into existing regiments to boost numbers.

Anyone mentioning National Service really needs to look at the way the army ended up during the time. Most National servicemen were treated as outcasts by the regulars. Most National servicemen were dealt with unfairly by the regulars of the army.

Why would this happen to our poor national servicemen? Because most of them didn't want to be there, and they made sure everyone knew it. The real army lads saw them as inferior, because they didn't have the minerals to join up properly. And if they didn't make it, well they'd be gone after a couple of years, so why would a regular care?

If the army wants more people then maybe offering the oppertunity to the homeless to join would be a better way of doing things

Answer 4

I suppose that would depend on the level of supervision as far as SS Dirlwanger is concerned, but otherwise can you imagine what would be said if prisoners were conscripted to a regiment sent on active service eg in Iraq or Afghanistan? I can see the headlines now! Even if there was an element of volunteering the criticism would be immense. MMmmmm?

Answer 5

As soon as they got to Iraq or Afghanistan they'd just walk off and go somewhere else. Besides, do you really like the idea of gathering up violent criminals, teaching them how to fight better, and giving them advanced and high tech weapons?

I know the prison problem in the UK is bad, but not that bad.

Answer 6

yes. its 1 option of many. there's loads of dis-used oil and gas rigs scattered round the north sea. pile all the real bad uns on them and drop a food supply off every week. the rest is up to the inmates. no screws no staff. they live how they make it. as for the prisons we have now, lets go back to some hard manual labour, and a lack of t.v's and game consoles. prisons need to be a punishment again, not the 4 star hotels they have become.

Answer 7

The type of conflicts existing nowdays are not the same ones as when such regiments existed (WWII and before). You don't win battles anymore by the sheer number of soldiers thrown in. Nor the UK is into mass killing of "enemy" population.

Bad idea.

Answer 8

So the solution to over crowded prisons is to give prisoners camouflage uniforms and easy access to heavy weapons? I don't know if that would work out the way you intended!

Might work for low level criminals though. Give them good training, a skill, and self esteem.

Answer 9

Wow, A penal regiment....we just call em prison bitches here?

Answer 10

i dont think penal regiments would be a good idea

theyd go off half cocked and kill innocent civilians