Riot police patrol the streets in Tottenham
Debate: Are judges right to hand out tough sentences to rioters?
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
12:09 PM
UK: The rush to send out a message in the wake of the riots is leading to “some very bad sentences”, campaigners said today.
The Howard League for Penal Reform warned against judges and magistrates handing out disproportionate sentences as two men who tried to incite a riot on Facebook were jailed for four years - even though the riots they tried to plan never happened.
But the Crown Prosecution Service defended the tough punishments, saying the web pages caused “significant panic and revulsion” to the people of Cheshire.
Jordan Blackshaw, 20, and Perry Sutcliffe-Keenan, 22, appeared at Chester Crown Court yesterday after police discovered Facebook pages created by the men which urged rioting in their home towns.
But Andrew Neilson, director of campaigns for the Howard League, said: “The rush to send a message out is leading to some very bad sentences, which will be overturned on appeal.
“It will be a further drag on the court system, which is already struggling - and that’s before considering the pressures on the prison system.”
- What do you think? Are judges right to send out a message to would-be thugs? Or are the sentences over the top? Post your views below.
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7 comments
Most of the comments here are in support of tougher sentences - that's not surprising, people are angry. But is this about justice or retribution? ('an eye for an eye and the world is blind'). Many of the 'do gooder brigade' are not seeking to apologise for the actions of those involved in last weeks riots. We just think that if we want to address this problem and prevent it recurring, treating the cause as well as the symptoms might be an idea worth considering.
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Nigel Noakes
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Did these barbarians show their victims any mercy or leniency? If you give no quarter you shouldn`t expect any. Let the wimps whinge and let us gain pleasure from it.
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Supernova6
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Many want tougher laws. Perhaps they want sharia law? I believe that we are more civilised than that. David Cameron smoked cannabis when he was a youngster, and perhaps he should have been sent down for a few years to set an example to others.
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chas winfield
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
how would some of the do gooder brigade feel if it was there shop house that was targeted by some of the mindless looters and robbers.(wuold they still give them a cup of tea and a huddle) ???. I think the comment of Mr girling in tuesdays star were spot on and reflect a large amout of the local comunitys feelings
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alan churchman
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
tougher and longer sentences are what is needed. If these cretins want to riot and destroy peoples property then they should certainly go away for a very long time,but of course first we need magistrates and judges with a spine and guts to do the job
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pukkatrukka
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
The Howard League has been undermining the British penal system for years so it is unsurprising to see them turn into apologists for the recent riots around the UK. The sentences are spot on in my opinion and will serve as an acute deterrent for others who may consider repeating the criminality we saw over the last week. But they are correct, the prison system does need to be reformed... back into a prison system designed around punishment. It needs to be much harsher, much tougher including no Open prisons, no physical contact with loved ones all discussion by phones through perspex, no packages from outside, standard issue prison clothing, no tv, hard labour chain gangs working from 7am to 7pm 5 days a week and strict educational programmes around literacy and numeracy at the weekend... the devil makes work for idle hands.
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Fat Lady Sings
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
If the people that had to suffer the riots complain about the punishments then I might listen, otherwise no. It's time the do-gooders and PC people of this world listened to the rest of us, i.e. the majority!
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Star Watch
Wednesday, August 17, 2011