Prisons across England and Wales are running out of places, warns Eoin McLennan-Murray, President of The Prison Governors’Association.

Prison population figures are predicted to hit record levels.

The answer is simple. Build more prisons.

Mealy-mouthed politicians – Justice Secretary Ken Clarke among them – tell us that prison alone does not work, that jailbirds leave unreformed and reoffend. Well let’s take a long look at the rehabilitation programmes. And perhaps prison is too soft – no deterrent.

Prisoners are the original captive audience and if you can’t bend them to your will when they are under lock and key, when can you?

In any case, prison certainly works in one very important respect. While criminals are locked up, they are not free to murder, rape, rob and generally terrorise society.

Consider the case of 30-year-old Learco Chindamo, who stabbed to death London headmaster and father-of-four Philip Lawrence as he tried to break up a fight outside his school in 1995.

Within four months of his release, he was back in court accused of mugging.

Jon Venables who tortured to death toddler Jamie Bulger in Liverpool in 1993 was out in eight years. Given a new identity and a fresh chance, he has laughed in our faces, accused of downloading child pornography, affray, visiting Merseyside in breach of his licence, excessively drinking and taking drugs.

If last week’s rioting has taught us anything, it is that there is a criminal underclass with no moral compass, festering on our sink estates.

At 86,608, the number of prisoners may be at an all-time high but if the crime merits prison, that it where the criminal should be.

If the key deserves to be thrown away, it should be. We can’t compromise on this.

Never mind counting the prisoners, start counting the victims.