It would be more of a deterrent if prison wasn't a fcuking holiday camp
Why they need to have Internet, TV, Newspapers, Pool tables, Gymnasiums, Telephone calls, Visitors etc is beyond me. Prison should be a punishment and because of the "do-gooder brigade" it's gone soft.
They should have 3 meals a day, 1 hour of exercise, 1 hour to wash/shower and that's it. The rest of the time they should be locked in their cells.
The Eu is to blame for that, good old "Human Rights".
Human rights should not apply to criminals, like you said it should be basic and they should be washing laundry and doing other manual labour jobs to actually earn their keep!, bring back the chain gangs, get them diggin fencepole holes and repairing dry stone walls and the like (preferably in the pissin rain)
Basic TV only, (No sky TV), no pool tables, no gyms (send em in skinny and bring em out bigger to cause more trouble how does that make sense?), phone call once per week and visitation once per week thats it!, oh and mandatory ass raping for every prisoner twice per day!