Just as foreign policy is off the rails, so policies at home, presented with every good intention, is leading to greater instability in society, not less. Mental health provision has been recognised as being grossly inadequate for a long time. Health Trust we learn are diverting their resources intended for this to help balance their budgets. Social Services struggle to keep up with demand. Yet there is a high cost to stuffing prisons and young offenders' institutions full to breaking point. This entails cell sharing where a high profile case has shown what can happen to a young person at risk. This has ended up with high suicide rates and incidents of self harm at unprecedented levels.

Research which has evaluated the negative effect of policy must be taken into account as a matter of urgency. It would certainly be helpful if future policy could be informed by humane considerations rather than the pressing demands for retribution and punishment.

A letter from Pauline Cambell whose daughter died the day after she was admitted to prison spells out the problem, as does another from someone in the youth offending service who raises his deep concerns.