More news from France:

YOUTHS threw molotov cocktails at police and torched cars in several French cities and towns in a 13th night of violence, ignoring the Government’s imposition of emergency laws.

Just like the mind boggling stupid people that voted for the gun ban in San Fransisco yesterday the French politicians just don’t get it.  You don’t change the behavior of people that disobey the law (assault, murder, arson, etc.) by passing still another law or regulation.  You change their behavior by making it physically impossible for them to commit more crimes.  They are arresting lots of people in France, which provided they are held for at least a few days before being allowed on the streets again, will reduce the number of repeat offenders.  And I suppose the curfew does make it easier to arrest some of the rioters.  But no one should expect that a person willing to commit a violent crime with all the moral as well as criminal violations involved will pay any attention to a law that bans them from being on a public street or the possession of some concealable object.

Oh, by the way…. French prisons are among the worst in the world.  In the 1970’s something like half of the people would die within a year while in prison.  My understanding is things have not changed much, if any.  As much as I believe the rioters belong in prison I don’t believe any prison should be as atrocious as the French prisons are.