Do enjoy this video of us laughing at the American Penal System. Because shortly they'll be doing exactly the same to us.

I'm not an apologist for the rioters. I think they need to be punished and in many cases, an example set.

But all the time I've been listening to the reports of frankly ludicrous sentences being handed out to people for stealing bottles of water, nicking chewing gum or receiving stolen property in the guise of wearing a pair of shorts, something has been nagging away at me.

And it's the video above.

Because as soon as we punish out of all proportion, we're another step closer to a failed prison system, a failing criminal justice system and a refusal to start putting things right.

I can just imagine what Jon Stewart is going to make of 4 years for publishing a Facebook page....

Thank goodness Nick Clegg has come out with some sensible proposals - that even the Telegraph are endorsing.