Help Sitemap Home Skip Navigation Contact Us Disability Statement

 
 
Wednesday, 15th October 2008

Premium Article !

Your account has been frozen. For your available options click the below button.

Options

Premium Article !

To read this article in full you must have registered and have a Premium Content Subscription with the The Scotsman site.

Subscribe

Registered Article !

To read this article in full you must be registered with the site.

Sign In
Register

Short jail terms 'are a costly waste of time'



Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image

Published Date: 28 May 2008
By Russell Jackson
A FORMER prison governor last night called for jail sentences of less than six months to be scrapped, describing them as an expensive waste of time.
Professor Alec Spencer, who has run Saughton, Peterhead and Glenochil prisons, said short sentences do not give prison staff enough time to address the causes of criminality or drug addiction.

He said: "In the last year, there were 8,603 people in for under six months – on average they served 24.2 days.

"If they have got addiction problems you can't deal with those in that time.

"Evidence tells us prison doesn't work for short sentences. For long-term prisoners who are dangerous to the public it is the right place for them, but for very short sentences there is no point and it does not reduce crime."

Prof Spencer said there were about 500 or 600 people at any one time serving very short sentences, costing the country about £20 million a year.





The full article contains 169 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 28 May 2008 12:40 AM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Scottish prisons
 
1

Nikostratos,

28/05/2008 01:27:25
Send them to 'Boot Camp' along with the feckless unemployed.........Good idea from the torys.....
2

,

28/05/2008 01:54:54
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
3

Snuffy Ivy,

28/05/2008 02:58:40
".......but for very short sentences there is no point and it does not reduce crime"

OK, So what does our illustrious government intend to do with those morons who are loose in a community?

We need an island somewhere in the west coast and let them roam freely there and meat out their own discipline and justice system within their OWN community. Crime will soon fall will it not?
4

steve 1511,

aberdeen 28/05/2008 07:18:35
a good flogging should be substituted ,carried out in the towns main shopping area on a saturday,that would be a good detterent to others
5

Nikostratos,

28/05/2008 10:12:16
Make watch Holyrood tv 24/7 and whisper in their ear........'There your leaders' ....That will put absolute fear in to them...well it does me
6

WKKB,

28/05/2008 11:23:17
so make the minimum sentence for minor crimes a full year with at least 10 months served and see if that reduces crime. 6 Month prisoners probably feel they're on holiday considering they only spend an average of 24.2 days behind bars. I don't fully understand why when a sentence is set down it's not followed anyway. i.e. 6 months and only 24.2 days served. If they do the crime make them do the time1
7

WKKB,

28/05/2008 11:25:18
I just thought of it... the perfect sentence for short timers.... chain them together with shackles around their ankles, give them a shovel and put them to work digging trenches for the tram!
8

blair,

North Berwick 28/05/2008 11:49:35
Many years ago two Glasgow trouble makers in the Isle of Man were sentenced to be birched. As they went up the gangway of the boat one turned round and said, "We're no comin' back tae the Isle o' Man". Scots Law is quite a thing apart from the Law of England or European Law. All that is required is to pass a law valid in Scots Law that removes the Right to Human Rights for anyone convicted and we in Scotland can ensure that guns, knives, and drugs offences are dealt with properly.
9

HarderTruth,

28/05/2008 12:20:48
#8
Sorry - the Scottish Parliament may not pass laws in conflict with European Law. They are null and void ab initio (i.e. they must be ignored by those in authority, and may be ignored by the public). The same generally applies to laws passed by the UK Parliament, although it is not explicitly written into legislation. That is why the Isle of Man withdrew from the EU and the Council of Europe. It could do this as it is not a constituent part of the UK.
10

FLUB,

a rocky outcrop in eastern central Scotland 28/05/2008 12:51:28
While six month prison sentences may not achieve much from a rehabilitative function (although I hae ma doots about the rehabilitative efficacy of the prison system), as a crime prevention exercise, they are second to none, provided the full six months is served.

#8 and #9 - It is an interesting irony, from an HR legislation point of view, that the only people whose human rights protection can be dispensed with are Police officers under investigation for alleged misconduct, and that forces may commit ANY breach of HR legislation in furthering that investigation.
11

Miss H,

28/05/2008 16:45:22
11 What he is saying is that on average there are between 500-600. You could take one single day and say how many prisoners serving short sentences are in Scottish prisons. But that only tells you what the picture is on that one given day.
12

Hickory,

US 28/05/2008 18:35:00
No matter, as long as the authority kisses the wee criminals on the rear, things will not change. Forgiveness is not a virture, it is a mistake for some crimes.
13

kirk 1,

28/05/2008 20:34:53
Simple then, anybody convicted of a"minor" crime while under the influence of drugs stays until they are clean.
14

Richardinho,

28/05/2008 22:29:13
Exactly how is prison supposed to deal with drug addicts? To quote Bill Hicks; 'If I went to prison, I'd probably come out mainlining heroin into my eyeballs!'

The solution is obviously longer sentences. Instead of convicts going in and out like yo-yos and causing disruption to society inbetween, simply keep them there where they can't harm decent people, and hopefully provide a bigger deterent to others. Also save money on police and the court system.
15

frank mcbride,

lusitania 28/05/2008 23:55:02
Topically, I think.

Knife/weapon (any) crime: Carrying.

Prosecuted as: Intent to commit murder.

Sentence: 15yrs without parole.

All other violent crime/crimes against the person: sentence to be proportionate.
16

bluehead,

edinburgh 31/08/2008 08:49:35
I have the perfect answer to this concern over short
jail sentences,and it is quite simple,make the sentences a lot longer than they have been dishing them out, eg, if someone was getting six months jail,then double to one year,then everyone will be happy,that is, of course,except for the poor sucker going to the hoosegow!!!!!!

 

Comment on this Story

 

In order to post comments you must Register or Sign In

 
 
RSS Feed of this article's comments
Delivery formats: RSS, Atom, Javascript & Email
 
  

 
 


Sister Newspapers:
Press Complaints Commission

This website and its associated newspaper adheres to the Press Complaints Commission’s Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then contact the Editor by clicking here.

If you remain dissatisfied with the response provided then you can contact the PCC by clicking here.