Honesty in sentencing
Honesty in sentencing
Honesty in sentencing
Honesty in sentencing
Sentencing Escalator
WHAT IS IT?
It is our policy proposal for the sentencing of repeat offenders, which would increase their sentence for committing the same crime again.
HOW WOULD IT WORK?
Any offender convicted of the criminal offence again should receive a higher (longer) custodial sentence for the second or subsequent offence than their longest previous sentence for the same offence (unless it would be unjust in all the circumstances to do so).
WHY?
The sentencing escalator would bring consistency and become a deterrent to reoffending.
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There are some current judicial comparisons:
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COVID-19 wearing of face masks: fines for non-compliance start from £100 and the fine for repeat offenders will double at each offence, up to a maximum value of £3,200.
In other judicial cases, such as for example for a repeated knife/offensive weapon possession offence the sentencing guildelines also set higher sentence for a second or subsequent same offence.
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Reoffending rates for serious crimes have been high for too long and the proportion of those released from custody who reoffend increases.
The system where a criminal can get a shorter sentence the next time they get convicted of the same offence is meaningless.
