The crisis in the prison service goes back to a 1952 act nodded through parliament

HMP Wandsworth prison in London. ‘One failing is that convicted and remand prisoners are held under the same rules,’ says Bill Abbott. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Current debate around the crisis in the prison service focuses on short-term remedies to a crisis (Law and order on UK streets would break down if jails became full, say police sources, 12 July). The need is for a more fundamental response. The baseline is the Prisons Act of 1952, which was nodded through parliament. One failing is that convicted and remand prisoners are held under the same rules. The moral humanitarian requirements are outdated. The service is in crisis because its baseline is irrelevant to our modern society.
Bill Abbott
Former governor, Pentonville prison

• Polly Toynbee (Opinion, 8 July) and Zoe Williams (Opinion, 10 July) make strong cases for proportional representation. The elephant in the room, however, is that we need to encourage higher turnout. This election saw the lowest turnout since 2001. PR might just convince the “don’t knows” and “can’t be bothereds” to engage in the democratic process.
Christine Walters
Buxton, Derbyshire