By Rosalind Gibb

Last updated 11:35, Tuesday, 06 May 2008

So prison life is too easy. This argument has reared its ugly head again after Gordon Brown scrapped a controversial pay rise for prisoners.

But those who believe inmates have it easy because they are fed, clothed, can watch TV and work for basic pay are missing a vital point.

If I did nothing but eat food and watch telly all week it wouldn’t be much of a life. Life properly lived is about having the freedom to go where you like, when you like, with no restrictions. We can enjoy the company of different people, run, climb hills, dance, skydive...the list is endless, and it leads to a stimulated, full and content life.

Most prisoners, eating their basic meal each day, or sitting in their tiny cell for the 256th day or however long, won’t be feeling on top of the world and thinking how much they love life.

Though it is popular to tar all prisoners with the same brush, in fact their cases vary hugely. Those that have been convicted have to live with their crime on their consciences forever more. But many are on remand and therefore not yet guilty. There were 92 suicides in prisons in England and Wales in 2007, according to government figures, and of those remand prisoners made up the largest group.

For prisoners who are due for release, some form of rehabilitation must be given, otherwise they will not cope on the outside.

It makes sense that this process should include doing work to earn money, and having a purpose. This is what they’ll need to do on Civvy Street, otherwise lapsing into reoffending will be too tempting.

Of course the subject of crime and punishment raises hundreds of questions, and how to punish perpetrators of particularly heinous crimes is a whole different debate.

But the argument that prisoners have it easy is too simplistic. People are comparing living with existing, and they are two entirely different things.