The Birch?.

[Jordyboy9]

Would it be such a terrible thing to bring back the birch considering the way things are in relation to knife crimes,putting people in prison for knife crimes seems to have no effect in fact they come out worse than they went in,having mixed with other undesirables,some will say we are putting the clock back,but surely something has to be done now.

[douglas9401]

It wouldn't be terrible but it's not gonna happen.

Will this do?

[Jordyboy9]

Will what do.?

[teacake44]

No birch trees left.

[Mamyalynne]

I can't seem to find much on what the rates of recidivism were for those who were birched - at a guess I think many would prefer it to a loss of liberty.

[NellieMay]

I can't imagine what sort of person would carry out this punishment, or any other physical punishment. Perhaps the same mentality as those who carry out the crimes. So no, it would be so wrong.

[maggiebee]

Although it's tempting to say "yes", I couldn't carry out this punishment no more than I could a hanging, so it's a no from me.

[douglas9401]

Teacake:

"16% of broadleaved woodland in the UK consists of birch, and this figure rises to nearly 50% in Scotland, where the upland birch woods also support rowan, ash, willow, juniper and aspen."

https://www.thehazeltree.co.uk/2013/02/14/the-magic-of-the-birch/

[Theland]

A cricket bat

[fiveleaves]

I'm not sure that the planting of more coniferous forests is top of Boris's agenda at the moment. Also they a less good for biodiversity.
Not sure what the link is with crime

[NellieMay]

Nor me Maggiebee! However, I would gladly place offenders in stocks in a public place and provide eggs to throw at them. But of course that would be against their human rights.

[ummmm]

It's a no from me.

[fiveleaves]

Actually the birch sounds like fun, and it would save me having to pay a lady in Pimlico £150 for the experience. Much better if you can get for free

[Bazile]

^^^
Her prices have gone up then

[mallyh]

fiveleaves we could organise a whip round for you x

[ichkeria]

Bring it back? It was only ever used in the Isle of Man, not exactly a hotbed of crime.
I think we've moved on from that. The stuff indeed of brothers not borstals.

[ichkeria]

Brothels :-)

[andres]

If I remember correctly birching was stopped in the early 70s on the Isle of Man. The Human Rights people thought it was degrading!!

[woofgang]

As I understand it, many gang cultures have trial by pain or similar (and its interesting anthropologically....it has been used for many many centuries as a method of bonding in mainly male groups) I couls see that birching or other corporal punishments could be viewed similarly as a test of manhood

[retrocop]

I met a couple of elder gentlemen when I was a young copper. Both had experienced birching and both had been to a borstal type institution. Both crimes they committed were quite petty, I thought at the time, for the punishment they received.
Both vowed unequivocally they would never want that again.

[Peter Pedant]

yes it would be a terrible thing

the criminal notoriously dont learn from prison ( 60% offend again within a year)

and bringing back birching would show WE dont learn from punishmentws that dont work

why dont we just hang them and be done with it?
or transportation ?