Why criminal justice shouldn’t just be about what punishment people ‘deserve’

Prisons running near capacity have created a dilemma for Andy Burnham. The new prime minister has now confirmed that anyone convicted of manslaughter would not be eligible from the prisoner early-release scheme. Questions around prison capacity hinge on public safety, of course, but also on what types of criminals “deserve” to be let out early. There was little pushback when Burnham announced that those convicted of rape, grooming offences or serious child sexual offences would not be…