I refer to your story, Addict inmate got £3,800 payout (Oxford Mail, April 19).

The Government's insistence to reluctantly pay up, because these inmates could possibly have got even more had each case been contested, is a defeatist attitude.

Thanks to propaganda spread for many years by everyone concerned, on the subject of heroin withdrawal, there is now a standard view of heroin addiction that is almost universally accepted by the public.

The alleged horrors of withdrawal, fever, seizures, hallucination and delirium do not occur.

In fact, withdrawal from alcohol is much more serious.

Although uncomfortable, opiate withdrawal is not life threatening and is likened at the very worst to the symptoms of flu.

It is true that addicts portray themselves as being in the grip of terrible suffering.

They hunch themselves up and writhe in histrionic agony and demand something to relieve their suffering (by which they mean an opiate) or else they threaten to set fire to their cell, or kill themselves or others.

The blame will not be theirs - it will be yours because you did not accede to their demands. (Alcoholics, many of whom are in real and genuine danger, never make such threats).

Because of our accepted indoctrinated view of heroin withdrawal, this Government would not even test one case to get the inmate to prove what he was saying was true.

It was just accepted that he must have suffered and the case would be lost, so payment is made and, again, the criminal wins because his human rights have been breached, allegedly.

If these inmates are so concerned about human rights, would they consider compensating the victims of their crimes with their payouts?

KEITH TAYLOR (Ex-prison officer of 27 years) Hamble Drive Abingdon