Overcrowded prisons are a result of the human rights brigade riding rough shod over the rights of hard working victims of crime in favour of the criminal inmate.

Why should the dregs of society have any rights other than a locked cell, basic clothes, survival rations and toilet facilities? If only we had politicians with the backbone and political will to change the prison system into something to be feared, thus reducing the risk of re-offenders returning. To achieve this prisoners would wear only prison fatigues; carry out daily hard labour – including chain gangs clearing ditches to reduce flooding risks; have no access to telephones, televisions, radios, magazines or to anyone in the outside world; and be allowed no cigarettes.

In return?

Shorter sentences, no time off for good behaviour but time to be added for bad behaviour; life sentences for murderers and paedophiles to mean life – no release; no death sentence because this makes the person carrying out the sentence a murderer also.

The sensible general public would support these changes.

So how about you David Cameron?

Will your next government have the nerve?

Mick Heavey, Oxford Road, Old Marston, Oxford