How society treats those who break its basic rules is a litmus test for how genuinely civilised it is, a test that the British prison system has consistently failed to pass over many decades. Hence the newly announced government initiatives over prison reform, especially concerning young offenders, are as surprising as they are welcome. Justice Secretary Michael Gove has clearly persuaded the Prime Minister that a new philosophy is needed in this area, one that regards criminality not just as an individual failing but also sees the role society has played in bringing it about. Drawing on his experience as a former Education Secretary, Mr Gove has concluded that those whom the education system has failed and who are ill-equipped to cope with life, are much more likely to end up in trouble