Westminster to Weymouth 51 – Prison Sentencing
Last week’s debate in the House on sentencing raised a few eyebrows on both sides.
At issue was the proposed reduction in sentencing for those entering a guilty plea.
The hope is it will encourage more defendants to plead guilty early, saving time and money and sparing witnesses a court ordeal.
In exchange, they could have their sentence reduced by 50 per cent.
Not unsurprisingly, there’s been a considerable backlash against the scheme.
Critics are worried that lower sentences for serious offenders will undermine public confidence in the legal system.
I would agree.
To me, the very suggestion that a crime is in some way lessened by its admission is nonsensical.
If the crime is serious, criminals are deprived of their freedom, and rightly so.
The message it sends is crystal clear; break the law and you’re sent down.
To limit that time by making pre-emptive deals before sentencing fatally undermines that principle.
Sentencing is already perceived to be too soft and haphazard.
To counter this, we promised to look at minimum sentencing before the Election.
I still think this is a good idea, with any further remission in the hands of the Prison Service and other professional organizations.
Currently, I am reliably informed, there are few deterrents with which to keep prisoners in line, with privileges gained automatically.
Our forgotten army of prison officers – of whom there are many in South Dorset – despair at their inability to make a difference.
Naturally, their lack of power means they are often held in contempt by their charges.
I am not suggesting a return to the bad old days.
But prisons are not a branch of Social Services and the key to running a tight ship must be discipline.
And to instill discipline you need a structure where everyone knows where they stand.
This would, in my view, make a difference later when offenders rejoin society.
Meanwhile, let’s not forget the victims, who for too long have felt disenfranchised by the justice system.
We cannot fiddle sentencing to scrimp and save money.
Nor must we go soft on crime.