Why soft prison sentences shame us and let down the police

From: Bob Watson, Baildon.
Home Secretary Priti Patel says cutting crime is "non-negotiable" and there must be "no weak spots" in efforts to do soHome Secretary Priti Patel says cutting crime is "non-negotiable" and there must be "no weak spots" in efforts to do so
Home Secretary Priti Patel says cutting crime is "non-negotiable" and there must be "no weak spots" in efforts to do so

OFFICIAL figures show only six per cent of criminals are now sent to jail (The Yorkshire Post, February 21), a damning indictment on the criminal justice system.

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You only have to read the outcome of court cases to see just where the problems are.

Is the criminal justice system on the side of the police?Is the criminal justice system on the side of the police?
Is the criminal justice system on the side of the police?
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Sentences are invariably inadequate and this is before the totally unacceptable minimum 50 per cent reduction in time served.

Suspended sentences have now reached epidemic proportions. These should be one-offs and not the norm, as seems the case these days.

“Life” sentences are a joke, with prisoners let out very often after only a few years inside.

On most occasions, a life sentence should mean exactly that.

There are calls for the courts to pass down stiffer sentences to assist the police.There are calls for the courts to pass down stiffer sentences to assist the police.
There are calls for the courts to pass down stiffer sentences to assist the police.
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Far better for all sentences to be served in full, with time added on for bad behaviour.

All assaults on police and emergency staff should result in a custodial sentence.

Maximum sentences should be abolished, giving judges more room to ensure the punishment fits the crime.

All sentences should be consecutive, with no concurrent sentences given.

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All the above issues only scratch the surface of what is currently wrong with the justice system.

It would be nice to think we now have a Home Secretary who is more inclined to shift the balance away from the offender in favour of the victim and the rest of the law-abiding general public.