D GOODWIN does 'not mean to suggest that all trainees never re-offend' during and after their stay at C-FAR.(Letters, August 8). The drop-out rate figures added to the re-offending figures are recognised as meaning that the slogan 'C-FAR works' cannot be justified.

Now if C-FAR operated only on private funding, that would be fine, as they are at Burdon Grange legally and have the necessary permissions to do their work as they please. However, I cannot meekly and quietly accept that large sums of public money should go to a business that has not been operating long enough to show a meaningful track record.

That money, I believe, should go towards more prisons to ensure that serial criminals can be taken out of circulation. A criminal out of circulation is a criminal who cannot commit crime on the rest of society.

My understanding is that a large percentage of all crime is carried out by persistent offenders. They are not imprisoned for long enough which is why, as D Goodwin states, crimes such as street robberies are 'on the rise'. A 'three strikes and you are out' type of policy would work; it is only the political will that is required to implement it. (If only we had an ex-mayor Guliani of New York in this country).

D Goodwin challenges me to discuss 'incidents'. My last letter did include details but they were omitted by the editor. (It was a long letter). Briefly, we know of a number both here and at Okehampton, including a car theft (ref Sgt B Brookshaw, Crime Reduction Officer, at our village meeting); the drug supplier escape, including the police helicopter search, well publicised; two other escapes from Burdon Grange, the culprits picked up in Okehampton, confirmed by PC Hoare, Community Officer, at our July parish council meeting, and at least two other escapes from Okehampton that we know of.

So far, fortunately, Highampton residents have not suffered a loss due to the escapes. Hopefully, this situation will continue. Nothing in D Goodwin's letters have induced me to change my views; if anything, they have been reinforced. On this note I am withdrawing from this current discussion.

D G Richards

Lower Odham

Highampton

l . . . just as well, because this

correspondence is now closed — Editor