Seems clear to me.

Cannot understand all the opposition there has been to the idea of decriminalising the non-payment of the TV licence fee.  The idea is that it will become a civil matter and if you don't pay you will be sued rather than prosecuted.  I've stated my position more than once in these pages that in my view imprisonment should be reserved for those who present a specific danger to the public or some member(s) thereof, but put that on one side for a moment and consider the maths.  What's a TV licence - £145 isn't it?  So you send someone to prison for a week - what's that cost?  Must be getting on for £1000 I would think.  And at the end of the day you aren't even going to get your £145 - you can't be tried twice for the same offence on the same evidence, so conviction effectively wipes the slate clean.   Where's the sense in that?