Does imprisonment cut crime?

A drop in the crime rate is not linked to a rise in prison population says the Justice Secretary, Kenneth Clarke. Do you agree?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/haveyoursay/2010/07/does_imprisonment_cut_crime.html

it would if all this human rights for them were dumped,, and the whole place toughned up,
no tv ,no wii games, if they have to piss in a chanty pot , to fukin bad ,they shoulda thought o that b/4 they raped, stole, murdered, mugged or whatever.. their in there for a reason,.... not to be mollycoddled.

I'm not convinced that prison is always the answer for offenders. For a start the prison system is too soft so I have to wonder if it does any good at all. They don't call it the university of crime for nothing.