Could Living Too Long In An Ivory Tower Addle The Brain?

[sandyRoe]

Professor Ashworth's proposals seem ill considered, to say the least.

http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/dont-jail-thieves-says-law-expert

[ummmm]

Well they do say the best place to learn how to be a criminal is in prison.

[douglas9401]

Seems fair enough as far as it goes. The fines and community orders thing would have to be strictly enforced though, no £1.00 a week for life or having a wee lie in instead of litter picking or whatever.
Saying that it may be an infringement of scumbag human rights to actually make them pay up.

[ummmm]

Of course it's not.

[sandyRoe]

If a habitual criminal needed the money to pay a fine how would he set about finding it?

[ummmm]

Some criminals have jobs.

[Old_Geezer]

If gaols are no deterrent then I can see not being gaoled is bound to work well. The system will be even more treated with disdain. It's another one of those good intention suggestions that isn't likely to help.

[emmie]

so if they get a fine how will they pay, by robbing someone, and so it goes on.

[emmie]

can't see how the victims of this type of crime will feel, i have been burgled and know what i would have liked to have done to those that did it.

[naomi24]

Burglars? I'd throw the key away! Despicable crime!

[sandyRoe]

I agree. For as well as taking a few items from their victims home they steal their peace of mind.

[ummmm]

He wasn't including burglary/house breaking.

[emmie]

from the link

But for "pure property offences", including theft, handling of stolen goods, criminal damage and fraud, imprisonment is disproportionate and the priority should be on making sure victims are compensated and that perpetrators make amends, he said.

[sandyRoe]

We're already seeing burglars cautioned.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/7442046/One-in-five-burglars-let-off-with-a-caution-under-Labour.html

[ummmm]

The bloke who burgled my house got four and a half years...

[emmie]

ours got away scot free, they did the entire road, Christmas time too, bstards.

[naomi24]

I assume he's talking about burglary too.

[naomi24]

Em, we've been burgled twice - both times at Christmas. I bloody hate burglars! The lowest of the low!

[ummmm]

Mine was early Jan. It was a nighttime burglary so we were all alseep. It's a sickening feeling knowing someone was in your room while you slept and that they could have taken one of the children and I wouldn't have woken up!

The police said that most people think they would wake up but the fact is they don't.

[LazyGun]

Its a topic that is worth revisiting from time to time. Jail can be an expensive option for Society, and potentially counter-productive.

Where this Professors report seems lacking though, at least based upon the media reports to date, is sufficient weight being attached to the desired of the victims. Jailing a criminal is more than just protecting Society from that one individual. Its also about sending a message, justice for the victim, and legitimate punishment of the individual for the crime. In that context,it is legitimate to imprison mass fraudsters, whose victims may have lost their life savings.

And from the report, it appears that the Professor believes burglary is a sufficiently heinous crime to warrant jail time.
"Prof Ashworth said while prison should still be considered in cases of robbery, blackmail and burglary, its use is disproportionate for crimes that do not involve violence, threats or sexual assault. He said fines and community sentences would be more effective and proportionate and would benefit victims more, as they are less likely to get compensation from someone behind bars with little or no income."

[ummmm]

Naomi - on the news he said that it doesn't include breaking into someones house.