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CRIME IS INCREASING IN AUSTRALIA.

Haz.

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2010
Messages
1,226
Location
I come from a land downunder.
imported post

Here's the truth, crime is on the increase in the land of no guns, downunder. But, instead of allowing citizens to re-arm and defend themselves the system thinks it might be a good idea if they actually keep the criminals they do eventually catch behind bars.
A Chief Justice has suggested that we couldgive criminalscounselling, assistance with employment and accommodation and discouragement of substance abuse and other negative behaviours.
A Chief Justice has stated that the prison system in WA was already under stress with chronic overcrowding and the cost to the taxpayer per prisoner each year was over $100,000, he said. [TRUE]

From 2002 to 2009 the population of sentenced prisoners in the state had jumped by 75 per cent to over 4,000 inmates, Justice Martin said. [TRUE].

He pointed out that the rate of imprisonment in WA was a little over 100 per 100,000 people in 1978 but in 2009 it was almost treble that at 280 per 100,000. [AGAIN, TRUE].

Breaking news.
http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/wa-chief-justice-calls-for-return-to-truth-in-sentencing/story-e6frfku0-1225867021369


WA chief justice calls for return to truth in sentencing

  • From: AAP
  • May 14, 2010 11:20PM
WESTERN Australia's chief justice has called for truth in sentencing and a better use of parole to target serious offenders at most risk of reoffending.


Justice Wayne Martin has proposed that WA's parole system be restructured so parole was not a discount on a prison sentence but a period of community supervision added on at the end of a sentence.

In a speech prepared for a seminar at Notre Dame University in Fremantle on Saturday, he said such a system would mean prisoners served their full sentences.

"It would finally introduce truth in sentencing - there would be no gap between the sentence imposed and time served - the term imposed by the court would be served in each and every case."

Justice Martin said such a system would mean there would be no basis for the public outrage often expressed whenever a parolee reoffended because they would have served their full sentence.


He said there had been "an element of public deception" in sentencing provisions when offenders were released before their full terms.

Justice Martin said that under his proposed system, parole would be targeted at people whose risk of reoffending was most likely to be lessened by community supervision and support.

Currently, those at least risk of reoffending were most likely to get parole while those who needed parole the most to reduce their chances of reoffending were denied it, he said.

He rejected the proposition that the aim of parole was to encourage good conduct by prisoners during their sentence.

"In my view, the primary objective of parole should be seen as the provision of support and encouragement to
prisoners re-entering the community following imprisonment so as to reduce the risk of reoffending and protect the community."

Counselling, assistance with employment and accommodation and discouragement of substance abuse and other negative behaviours had been shown to decrease reoffending to some extent, Justice Martin said.

He said under his proposed system, judges would have to take into account the actual terms of imprisonment served under the previous regime to avoid a sudden spike in terms of imprisonment.

The prison system in WA was already under stress with chronic overcrowding and the cost to the taxpayer per prisoner each year was over $100,000, he said.

From 2002 to 2009 the population of sentenced prisoners in the state had jumped by 75 per cent to over 4,000 inmates, Justice Martin said.

He pointed out that the rate of imprisonment in WA was a little over 100 per 100,000 people in 1978 but in 2009 it was almost treble that at 280 per 100,000.

Justice Martin made it clear he was expressing his personal views and they should not be taken as the views of the judiciary.
 

Old Grump

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2010
Messages
387
Location
Blue River, Wisconsin, USA
imported post

Violent criminals don't attack the strong or the armed, they prefer weak and unarmed victims as a general rule and the criminals attacking other criminals are often illegally armed where the average man at home, on the street or in his place of business is by law defenseless.

Man has a right and a duty to defend themselves. It is impractical for them to carry a policeman around in their back pack wherever they go. Unless that happens restrictive gun laws are unreasonable.

Want to reduce the number of violent felons. Let society be armed, be polite and watch the violence decrease. Dead or severely wounded boogermen who just got ventilated by an 77 year old great grandmother watching over her family are unlikely to repeat bad behavior. Especially the unlucky ones who got themselves turned into room temperature.

Save the prison space for the really evil people. White collar criminals responsible for millions in losses and unrepentant sex offenders of all flavors. The violent boogermen will either modify their bad behavior or get themselves taken out of the gene pool.
 
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