Long Prison Sentences

[daffy654]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_yorksh ire/7266971.stm

This is the 3rd time in recent weeks that I have read about a sentence of more that 30 years being handed down.I think this is a very good thing,especially in cases like the one linked above. Have sentencing guidelines changed or are judges just being harsher these days?

[stokemaveric]

have them dangling on the end of a rope would save us millions..........

[Lonnie]

I'd take a bet its not served though.

[jake-the-peg]

Sentencing guidelines change all the time. In recent years the process has become more open and public there's even a website here:

http://www.sentencing-guidelines.gov.uk/

Personally I think this is a good thing because it makes things much more visible, there are public consultations and it's clearer why judges set the sentences that they do.

People are even begining to understand what a tariff is.

I don't think the guidelines have changed with regards to these sort of cases recently, it's just a coincidence that we've had a few really nasty cases all come up at the same time.

There's a list of whole life tariff prisoners on wikipedia here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole_life_tariff

2006 was a good/bad year (depending on how you look at it)

[Supernick]

I'll take your bet Lonnie. Here is the list (from Wiki) of prisoners released from life tariffs (and I'm only counting 1 of them as being relevant).

"A whole life tariff was imposed on all four members of the IRA's Balcombe Street gang in 1977, but they were all freed in 1999 as part of the Good Friday Agreement.

So far, gangster Reginald Kray is the only other prisoner to have been freed from prison in England and Wales after receiving a whole life tariff. He was arrested for murder and numerous gang-related crimes in 1968, found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1969, but was released in 2000 due to terminal cancer. He died five weeks after his release".

[daffy654]

Thanks for you answer jake-the-peg,it was very helpful.
Yet another long sentence was given today if anyone is interested.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshi re/7268314.stm