\u201cPrison does have an important role, but we actually overuse it,\u201d Prof. Mirko Bagaric from Deakin University told Jeremy Cordeaux on FIVEAA.<\/p>\n
\u201cImprisonment should be used, and it used to be used, for the people that we\u2019re scared of, not for the people that we\u2019re basically angry at.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said prison should be for those who cause the most damage, like sexual and violent offenders.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey should be behind big walls because they\u2019re crimes cause a lot of damage and we need to be protected from them.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut there are other people who do commit crimes but are nowhere near as serious.\u201d<\/p>\n
These offenders included white-collar criminals, social security defrauders and people that lie in court, according to Prof. Mirko Bagaric.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey all cause some level of harm in the community, but the level of harm they cause in nearly all cases doesn\u2019t justify imprisonment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery dollar we spend on imprisonment is a dollar we have less for our children at school.\u201d<\/p>\n
LISTEN to the full interview here:<\/strong><\/p>\n