You may find Just Stop Oil annoying. You may dislike their tactics. But they do not belong in prison | Chris Packham and Dale Vince

These protesters are shouting 'fire' while the world burns. A society that locks them up cannot be called democraticThere's a crisis in our prisons. Keir Starmer says it is "shocking". Our jails are so full, police chiefs are warning it may soon be impossible to maintain even the most basic law and order. So here's a radical proposal. Let's stop locking up our truth tellers. The people who are shouting "fire" because there's a fire. When they see we're not moving fast enough and that the flames are getting higher, they know their responsibility is to shout out the message louder. Because they care. You probably know who we mean.These people might be annoying. They might give you an earache. We might wish they would tone it down. But in a democratic society, they do not belong in prison. We need to be listening to them, not locking them up.Chris Packham is a naturalist, environmental and animal welfare campaigner, author and television presenter on BBC Two's SpringwatchDale Vince is a green energy industrialist and campaigner and a Labour party donor Continue reading...