23rd January 2008

National radio is back to normal and the regular columnists are back in harness at the Press, so I guess it's time I resumed my regular moan.

Back in August I had a go at the parole board. I see in todays paper that the person who got 7 years for his part in the pack rape of a woman is getting parole six months after he was initially turned down. The term served was two and a half years.

Apparently the Parole Board is bound by the principle that offenders must not be detained any longer than is consistent with the safety of the community. On that principle, Judges setting deterrent sentences are rendered powerless as the time served in prison will be possibly two thirds less. Whatever happened to the principle of "do the crime, then do the time". To me there seems to be something pretty wrong with the system. I always thought that justice was society meteing out punishment for wrong-doing against it and the length of that punishment was determined by the behaviour at that time, not by subsequent displays of repentance. Human beings will always push the limits of what is acceptable and it is only the fear of the consequences that modifies behaviour. There appears to be little to fear from the Justice system these days.

TC