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New Books and Panties

from Check Your Stereo by Steve White

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about

When he was Justice Secretary, Chris Grayling banned the friends and families of prisoners in the UK from sending them all sorts of stuff, including books and clean underwear. His ban on steel strung guitars brought a temporary halt to Billy Bragg's Jail Guitar Doors project too despite it's impressive track record in preventing re-offending.

I just don't get it. Prisons are about (a) removing the risk to the rest of us from murderers, robbers and rapists, and (b) rehabilitating them so that they don't do it again, right? Punishment's what we do to children and dogs, and it doesn't work with them either. Plays well to the Daily Mail crowd I presume.

Anyway, it was illegal and was eventually overturned.

lyrics

Chris Grayling doesn't want you to learn to play guitar
Chris Grayling doesn't care how dirty your pants are
Chris Grayling says he wants 'a more spartan regime'
And Cameron says 'like public school? I know just what you mean'

You can send a book to a prisoner in Guantanamo Bay
But not to one in Pentonville, or Holloway
Chris Grayling doesn't understand rehabilitation
He'll just get you ready for your next incarceration

Chris Grayling says that you can go to the prison library
Once in every six weeks, if you are lucky
Chris Grayling doesn't care that you're studying for a degree
Or that you're just learning to read properly

You can send a book to a prisoner in Guantanamo Bay
But not to one in Pentonville, or Holloway
Chris Grayling doesn't understand rehabilitation
He'll just get you ready for your next incarceration

You can't send a prisoner a pair of nice clean drawers
And Billy Bragg has had to stop his Jail Guitar Doors
Chris Grayling doesn't care that you're more likely to transgress
More prisoners means more money for his mates at G4S

You can send a book to a prisoner in Guantanamo Bay
But not to one in Pentonville, or Holloway
Chris Grayling doesn't understand rehabilitation
He'll just get you ready for your next incarceration

credits

from Check Your Stereo, released August 20, 2015

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Steve White & The Protest Family UK

"[They] remind me of The Clash" - Basil Gabbidon (Steel Pulse)

"I love this band. Punk minstrels who chronicle our times with humour, passion and immense talent." - Bob Oram, Morning Star

"Everybody please visit: Steve White & The Protest Family" - Tom Robinson

"Constructive political music" - Joe Solo
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