The law is an ass
 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-39483801

Seven and a half years for such a cold calculated torture is nothing IMHO. :mad:

Re: The law is an ass
 

It should of been their natural life hard labour.

Re: The law is an ass
 

There are strict legal guidelines for judges who have to set a minimum tariff when they impose a life sentence. Nevertheless this is a minimum tariff and there is no guarantee they will get out after 7.5 years.

Re: The law is an ass
 

I agree. This is madness.

Re: The law is an ass
 

The each received 3 life sentences and judging by their behaviour and attitude they are not likely to get out in 7 years. But as already commented there has to be a prospect of release else can end up with no hope and extreme behaviour inside prison.

Re: The law is an ass
 

There is no guarantee of course and yes there is an argument for giving time off for good behaviour etc. but the fact remains they may get out after this relatively short period and IMHO that's not good enough for the cold, calculated torture of 2 defenceless people whose scars and nightmares won't have any such minimum term.

Re: The law is an ass
 

No there doesnt.
One life sentance should remove the prospect of release, nevemind three of them.

There really is no argument for this.
These are very nasty people who should never be let out.

This whole soft approach is one reason why we have so many violent criminals.

Re: The law is an ass
 

It's a nice soundbite but when you actually think about it that just doesn't add up

Re: The law is an ass
 

Yes it does.

Re: The law is an ass
 

How come there's still violent crime in America, China and Saudi Arabia, how comes people we're still murdering when we used to hang them or thieving when we used to hang children for stealing bread. Fact is criminals don't expect to get caught committing crime, that's why they still commit them in those countries mentioned. It's a complicated issue that deserves to be treated with more respect than a throw away line that's no better than "religion causes all wars". That said I do seem to remember reading somewhere that to shorter sentence doesn't help recidivism rates and the ideal tariff to turn a prisoner around was two years but then that was when there was money invested in prisons and they weren't farmed out to private companies to squeeze as much profit out of it as possible.

Re: The law is an ass
 

I'll just clarify and say that for certain groups of criminal there ought to be no prospect of early release. I do think it's right though that for lower level criminals there is an incentive to behave well whilst in prison. The level of that possible 'discount' would depend on the circumstances.

I'd like to see a situation in which anyone released early who goes on to repeat offend has the unserved remainder of their original tariff added to their new one. I do think we can't keep giving criminals second chances.

Re: The law is an ass
 

There is no prospect of early release for the criminals in this case.

I think there is a degree of misunderstanding of what a life sentence actually is in the UK. It does not mean life behind bars. It means jail for an indeterminate period, not less than the tariff set by the judge, with release only when the tariff has been fulfilled, and the offender is considered to be sufficiently punished and rehabilitated and not representing an ongoing risk to the community.

Even when a lifer is released from prison, because they have a life sentence they are out on licence for the rest of their life and can be returned to prison, without any further conviction, if they breach their licence terms.

If these criminals are released from jail after 7 years (and that's unlikely), then they will not have been released "early". They will have been released in accordance with the tariff set by the court.

Re: The law is an ass
 

Why does this not surprise me at all.

And during that period out on licence if they get it they get the chance to do this again. It's happened before i seem to remember

Re: The law is an ass
 

Several times from memory.

Re: The law is an ass
 

Yes it has happened before. Nevertheless, we can't keep every violent criminal behind bars on a whole life term. It would cost an absolute fortune, require the building of a lot more jails and it would also be unjust. We have to allow for the possibility of rehabilitation.