In the Public Interest v What Interests the Public

Today I had to give in and recognise that my cold/chesty cough needs more rest than I am giving it. I struggled through the morning and then postponed my clients this afternoon. I really don't like having to postpone as I have such lovely clients. A therapist couldn't ask for better folks.

It's my own silly fault. I should have rested a lot more yesterday but I'm trying to learn my lesson. Evidently I still need help because although I've been in bed for two hours I've been exchanging comments on here. Mind you, it's been fantastic and I wouldn't change it.

This was pretty much the only photo I took today; this day of showers followed by sunshine that made everything look shiny and new. It reminds me of a story I heard on the news this morning about the release from prison of Chris Huhne and Vicky Pryce. For those of you outside the UK, you haven't missed much. It's been a pretty seedy affair involving a senior politician.

I was struck by the argument that it was 'in the public interest' to hear what Mr Huhne thought of prison, how he will live with a home detention curfew, how he will make amends with his family. Personally, I think he's serving his sentence and I have no interest in the other bits.

What is in the public interest is how we treat those people incarcerated, how we try to stop the recidivism by tackling some of the reasons people are in prison in the first place: low levels of literacy and numeracy, no skills or qualifications, substance misuse, family discord, poverty of ambition, to name a few. Only when we take advantage of the time spent in prison will we be able to make some inroads. We're only just beginning to take a fuller cognizance of the victims of crime. Now that would be in the public interest.

Ok, rant over. Night night. xx