This is a difficult issue.  Permitting a book to be published by an offender ensures that the offender's rights are protected.  However, should not the interests of the victims be taken into account?  I seem to remember that relatives of Mary Bell's victims were very upset at reading a book on the offences and angry at all the inaccuracies.  Mary Bell did not write the book - (she did however contribute) and received money from the author.  Geoffrey Archer has written about his experiences in custody but this differs from writing a book about ones own crime particularly if it is a gruesome murder. This is not an easy debate as too often offenders dehumanise victims to enable them to cope psychologically with the act they perpetrated. A paedophile will maintain that a child is a willing sexual partner, a murderer that he/she was goaded etc.  Rape trials are hard to prove because the character of the victim is pulled apart by defence lawyers.  Victims and their families also have rights and I think for too long our system has favoured the offender.  Hopefully John Reid is attempting to balance the scales.