'In 2006 some 1,226 under-18s were found guilty of carrying a blade yet only 72 were put behind bars. [ Work out THAT percentage! ]
The average sentence was 3.4 months, which because of early-release rules, meant that a typical offender spent just eight weeks in jail.'
Deterrence? - I think NOT!
EVERY offender should 'go down' - end of story. We see politicians wringing their hands pathetically and whining - but the answer is a minimum 12 month term for carrying and a further 4 years if brandished, used to threaten - even if not especially aggressively.
Why does it not happen? Judges and magistrates to blame? - Probably not. BLAME THEIR GUIDELINES!
LINK: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1021893/JAMES-SLACK-How-Labours-soft-justice-cost-2-500-lives.html
