[jem]

OK look not glorified but rather proposed an answer to the issue that there are only ‘x' number of places in prisons with ‘y’ number of people being given custodial sentences.

Something has to give.

Prisons have two functions, punishment (I’m sure it’s not pleasant being locked up), and security, removing a dangerous person from society, so he or she can’t harm anyone else. The latter is a given, but the former, are their alternatives to prison as a punishment?

Now I’m certainly not saying that someone convicted of murdering a family gets a sentence of ‘painting a few walls’; but is there has to be somewhere in between prison and a fine. And I don't know what that might be.

Or, follow the US model and build and staff a lot more prisons.