Dannyno Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 On 08/01/2022 at 21:35, El Cid said: A few years ago they shortened sentences because the prisons were full. Has that changed? Now they are panicking because the hospitals are full! I think your perception is not correct, not least because the prison population has continued to grow more or less continuously and there have been changes over the last couple of decades to increase the base length of sentencing for certain crimes - including the introduction of indeterminate sentences. The government is predicting that the prison population will reach 98,500 by 2026 (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/prison-population-projections-2021-to-2026). Most people don't know how sentences are determined - they aren't just made up. Surveys have shown that many people underestimate the normal sentences for crime, probably based on sensational news reporting of cases which are unusual or seem surprising. In 2016, the average sentence for all offences was 18.8 months. In 1993, it was 16 months. In 2016, 34% of prisoners were serving less than 4 years. In 1993 it was 54%. The average sentence for the year ending June 2021 was 20.2 months, higher than 2016. https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmjust/483/report-files/48307.htm https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-june-2021/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly-june-2021-html#sentencing For historical data on the prison population, see: https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN04334/SN04334.pdf. The pandemic has reduced crime levels and slowed court processes, so there's a blip over the last year or so, but the trend has been mainly upwards for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyno Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 On 05/01/2022 at 18:59, Jack Grey said: Id like 5 minutes alone with him in a room....he wouldnt be laughing I think prisoners have TV's in their cells now so hopefully everyone in his cell block watched it on TV last night and was waiting for him in the showers this morning I know this wasn't your point, but not all prisoners have a TV in their cell. The prison system runs an incentives scheme, where you can earn certain privileges, one of which is the possibility of renting (for £1 a week) a TV. The last statistics I could find suggest that just under half of prisoners have an incentives status which would permit the rental of a TV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Cid Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 2 hours ago, Dannyno said: Most people don't know how sentences are determined - they aren't just made up. Surveys have shown that many people underestimate the normal sentences for crime, probably based on sensational news reporting of cases which are unusual or seem surprising. In 2016, the average sentence for all offences was 18.8 months. In 1993, it was 16 months. There are many things that affect the average sentence, giving people community service or a fine instead of a number of weeks in jail would push up the average. The most common sentence is a fine, but people can also get community sentences, prison sentences, or simply be discharged if a court thinks there’s no further need for punishment. It is a very complex area, perhaps you are right. Do people get let out early more these days? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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