IF it's true our prison system is imploding, we have only ourselves to blame.

The big problem is re-offending and we could deal with that if, upon re-offending, all previous prison sentences were added and additionally served to any new sentence. At present, 'previous' is only taken in consideration by the bench. That should be scrapped.

It may seem harsh that a six-month sentence 'expands' into three years, two months, but it would certainly make the criminals think twice about re-offending and it would put the onus where it belongs -- on their shoulders and in their hands. The truth is, we are just too 'soft' about re-offending.

D PRATT (Mr), Plantation Street, Accrington.