“What’s a state there for? It’s to defend the country with decent sized armed forces, defend the borders and keep the public safe from dangerous people, and it seems to be failing on all three counts.” By allowing offenders out of prison early due to a lack of cell space, the state is actively failing at one of its most basic obligations to protect the public, says Robert Crampton, columnist for The Times. Robert Crampton and Jane Mulkerrins were speaking to Hugo Rifkind on Times Radio. Listen live every Monday to Thursday, 10am-1pm. Read the best of our journalism: https://www.thetimes.com/ Listen live to Times Radio: https://www.thetimes.com/radio/live Subscribe to The Times and The Sunday Times YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=timesonlinevideo Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timesandsundaytimes/ Find us on X: https://x.com/thetimes Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetimes/