Perhaps we should just release them, as I expect being banged up in chokey is bad for one's self-esteem too?

'..."handicapped", the latter axed because it derives from “cap in hand” which apparently infers disabled people are beggars.'

Oh no, not this one again. That's an urban myth:

http://www.snopes.com/language/offense/handicap.asp

I hereby Declare a new word

STUPIDFUCKINGIDIOT

as it is written exacly like above sounds very similar to three other words but is not

Will now be used to describe any inmate that is annoying.

PC Go suck eggs

They dont like it they shouldnt of commited the crime !!!!!

Mad is an unkind and derogatory term. A more appropriate phrase might be "PC approximating the logic of a individual with mental health issues."

(fingers crossed that a bajillion readers haven't already pointed this out)

Given that a measurable percentage of offenders actually do suffer from mental disorders this is a good idea. Treat others like you would want to be treated like. Would they get away with saying "put the black b*strd intae cell 44" No they wouldnt, so why should they get away with referring to those with mental or physical impairments in a derogatory manner?

For example - It has taken years for people to be persuaded to stop using the word "spastic" or "spazzy"; derived from someone who suffers cerebal palsy and therefore can suffer from spastic (spasmed) limbs but adopted as an insult.

Capability Scotland used to be known as the "Scottish Council for Spastics" but changed their name and remit many years ago to refer to anyone who needs help to improve their capabilities, such as those with learning difficulties and severe mobility issues.

Plus they are one of the few employers who when they find out that someone needs sensible adjustments to their workspace to perform their job, actually do the adjustments rather than withdraw the position or bully the person into quitting, or put that person into situations which risk their health or ask them to perform tasks they are not capable of to ridicule them.

Bill Aitken is a press attention seeker who never makes any sensible sugggestions on how to improve things, just lashes out meaningless soundbites like the true thatcher era tory that he is.

The campaign against political correctness can just fuck off, bunch of muppets who like lashing out racial, sexual and disability related slurs (but dont like getting insults back or being called on their disgraceful behaviour).

Newsflash, this is 2009 not 1609, they are a bit like the pensioner who came into my work one day and launched into a tirade about why theres nothing wrong with calling someone a "d*rkie", "p*ki", "w*g" or "n*gger", his excuse "Its the way you use it, not the word" total and utter bollocks, I wonder did he belong to the BUF? or maybe he was just upset that the nazis grabbed genocide before britain did.

For flips sake, I am sick and tired of this need to use fluffy language, always having to hide the painful truth of what something really is. PC can be good in the right context, but often it is used as an excuse by overpaid, pond-dwelling legal scumbags to get money out of someone.

We don't have problems any more, we have issues or situations.

Soldiers don't die in horrific agony due to gunshot wounds, the "armed forces suffer casualties in staged conflicts".

People aren't viciously raped by head-cases with no morals and no control, they are "victims of sexual assault".

Trains no longer breakdown, go wrong or are busted, they are "subject to unit malfunction".

We don't have night-watchman or security guards, they are security "officers". Obvious attempt to make something seem more important that it is. You look after something, you guard it, therefore you are a guard!

Just stop, right now!

'The Scottish Prison Service’s equality and diversity manager, Rob Hastings, defended that the guide "is not PC gone mad"'

Of course not, it's PC "with mental health issues"

But seriosuly, are the lags going to stop using these and other psychologically damaging terms between themselves and to the warders? Stop acting violently? Rehabilitate themselves?

The purpose of prison is, surely, punishment and rehabilitation. We plainly fail at the latter which is something we should be very ashamed of, and by all accounts it sounds like we fail at the former as well. I'm not saying that prisoners should be subjected to verbal tirades but you may as well lay on butlers and silver service if this sort of thing is going to happen. No deterrent at all.

"“The word ‘daftie’ is used as a derogatory term. It implies there is something bad about them. "

There s something "bad about them" otherwise they wouldn't be in fscking prison!!!

This is PC gone OTT.

Paris, because she's been there..!

Why, as a nation, do we treat our criminal scum better than we do our honest citizens?

Prisoners get free internet, free TV, free heating, free food, free this, free that; some even get exotic trips away; THEIR rights are protected by armies of lawyers who rush to defend them; and what does the law-abiding citizen get? To pay for it all, that's what.

It is a mockery of justice that these pieces of human refuse get such an easy time. They should be forced to do hard labour (clearing streets, whatever) as at least a token gesture to repay the society that they have harmed.

If being called a "nutter" is the worst they have to worry about, then the prison regime is clearly not harsh enough.

Says political correctness (sorry "quality and diversity") manager, Rob Hastings "Its not political correctness gone too far".

Of course not, Rob; after all you have to do *something* to justify your taxpayer funded salary.

Look, mental health issues or not... if someone's in jail because they can't figure out not to cut someone up, they're fucking lucky to be alive at all and not dead as a result of their crimes. Frankly I don't give a fuck what "hurtful language" they're subjected to in prison, as it was likely their "hurtful behaviour" that put them their in the first place.

That I completely agree with the daft bint

Complete and utter PISH!

I'm sick and tired of all these fucking psycho P.C. numpties. Nutters, the fucking lot of them. Absolutely no grip on reality. If they try and punish the cons for using some of these common phrases, then, in the words of the Kaiser Chiefs, "I Predict a Riot"

Ms Moloney needs to remove her asshat, is clearly a daftie, and should remain dumb forthwith.

Capability Scotland are doing themselves no favours with this, and should bag the aforementioned eijit before she does any more damage. Whit a tube!

According to the handbook*:

"Political" should not be used as it has associations with politicians, and that offends pretty much everybody.

"Correctness" is derived from "Rectus": Latin for "bottom^H^H^H "right"

"Mad" has associations with mental health issues, which should never be alluded to.

I can now imagine Scottish lags shouting "Person wi' mental health issues? Are yoo sayin' ah'm a nutter?" followed by a swift headbutt and a few days in solitary... and all because of a without speech handbook.

* I don't actually have a copy, but I'm sure this is what it says

Time for the BBC to re-run the entire series. If the Prison Offices are like Mr. Mackay then I know exactly where these new instructions will end up...

As a reminder:

Mackay: "They're criminals, man!"

Barrowclough: "Ah yes but they're also human beings."

Mackay: "All right. But criminal human beings!"

The Scottish Prison Service’s equality and diversity manager, Rob Hastings, defended that the guide "is not PC gone mad", concluding: "You have to keep chipping away at these attitudes."

I agree, it is PC gone completely and utterly mad!!!

I am normally the first one to go against foul language, but you still have to stay within reality, and Rob Hastings has obviously lost it to a point where one could say, he is completely out of touch with reality!!!

If he claims he needs to chip away these attitudes, then I would say, his need to be bulldozed over!!!

As I said, I dislike foul language and don have a problem with voicing my opinion, when adults use four letter words, while my children are in hearing distance. But on the other hand, those are adults and should be treated they way they are used to and not come against them in such an arrogant ¨We are better than you because we use better language¨ attitude!!!

Rob hastings is simply playing ¨King¨ and tries to imprint his (arrogant and despicable) character on his subordinates.

Just shows you who has the chip on his shoulder and has to have some of his attitude ¨chipped¨ away.

To be frank, this disgusts me far more than the terms themselves. half of it is based on inaccuracies (handicapped) and the other half refer to terms that are only mildly derogatory. To be frank, life just isn't fair - I've been insulted a fair few times (some justified, others not) but WHO CARES? You're supposed to be adults. Get over it. Get on with your lives. Dedicate the time to something that actually matters. Remove the chips from your shoulders. Stop hiding behind legislation and go and DO something.

Bloody do-gooders. If you don't like the TV shows, don't watch them. If you don't like what's on the internet, don't use it. If you don't like people being insulting in prison, don't commit a crime.

I have absolutely no smypathy

Rephrasing euphemisms for mental health issues?

It's madness gone politically correct I tell you!

As a previous member of Her Majesty's Prison Service in Scotland, I would like to respond to this article.

It seems that as daftie and spaz are not fit for use, can I recommend we call the theivin'/murderin'/robbn'/rapin' scumbags the following:

1. Rocket

2. Zoomer

3. Sizzler

4. Numptie

5. Ba'heid

6. Scunner

Oh aye, @ Mike JVX

What prison was it you worked at then? I would like to know how you manage to get to the conclusions you have.

BTW, I agree that institutionalised racism and abuse of any kind should be addressed and eradicated, but these scummy bastids call the folk that wear the white shirts a lot worse, but yet again, its all about the criminal, never about the victim.

Wot a pile of shite.

"The Scottish Prison Service’s equality and diversity manager, Rob Hastings"

More tax payers money well spent then. Perhaps locking people in a small room also has an effect? Could Rob put them up instead? I am sure he has a nice house and plenty of spare room.

Hopefully all the equality and diversity managers will be the first ones up against the wall when the revolution comes.

I don't think wardens should be allowed to shout "com'ya and suck on it, yo shite-licking muthafucka!" to the inmates. Howerver, preventing them from saying that the jailbirds "suffer" from some condition or are "handicapped" is so stupid that the originating person *must* *absolutely* be called a total moron. Looking forward to the next flu epidemics. I wonder if the wardens will be allowed to say that an inmate is "ill" or "sick". Shurely these derogatory terms must be avoided, as temporary fluctuations in health are, after all, part of who the inmates are...

Surely, the inmates according to Brookmyre are:

Nuggets

Zoomers

Screamers

Steamers

Bams

and

Rockets

Are we really discussing the importance of addressing another human being properly?

And this is the 21st century?

Thank god for the bomb?

You are a true scholar......

Give that man his own icon. :D

....hanging, transportation, Bedlam and the stocks!

The real problem is that we have prisoners in jail who have mental health issues, or who are mentally disabled, and our only solution to their problems is to deprive them of their freedom in a punitive fashion. So we punish them for their mental deficiences, which are none of their choice, or their making, and undoubtedly the major factor in their "criminality". This is just a tad up from gassing them.

As usual, the politically correct strain at a gnat and swallow a camel. They won't spend the money needed to address the real issue, so they just get us to talk about it nicely instead!

Seems to me the government will not rest happy until it has removed all free thought and legislated for every situation. We will all have to carry hand held devices. When someone asks you a question, simply enter it on the device and it will tell you what the allowed responses to such a question are.

FFS - what has happened to free thought? Did reality TV really numb the brains of a whole generation? Come on people wake up!

No need to abuse anyone, but teach decency and respect at an early age and get rid of the ridiculous burden of unfathomable legislature.

Mine's the one with FFS on the back....