Soft sentencing for recidivists must end
IN line with this newspaper’s own Call This Justice? campaign, the Department of Justice’s appeal for persistent offenders to be automatically jailed is a call that must be welcomed.
All too often we have witnessed the same offenders come before the courts – for burglary and all other manner of violent crimes – only to be permitted to avoid doing any jail time whatsoever.
Even in cases of manslaughter, rape, aggravated burglary and violent assault, we have seen far too frequently that a prison sentence is not handed down by the judiciary. In numerous instances, and even when serious re-offending has taken place, those responsible often get off with a suspended sentence. We have highlighted cases in this newspaper – far too many to specifically document here – where that has been the unacceptable outcome.
That the judiciary generally appear to regard a custodial sentence as a last-resort punishment, and operate on that basis, is a principle that has been well established, and long upheld, in our court system over the years. It has become increasingly obvious, however, in the light of numerous crimes where a repeat offender has been found guilty, but has still walked free from court, that this soft approach needs a radical overhaul.
It is now time for that long-overdue overhaul to take place so that when it comes to these recidivists appearing before our courts, the only option for the judiciary is to impose a custodial sentence. There should be no leeway. This is a message that needs to be strongly sent so that such offenders know, beyond all doubt, that if they end up back in court, they will be placed behind bars. The recommendations from the Department of Justice are, therefore, both sensible and necessary, and have been supported by Fianna Fáil’s justice spokesperson, Jim O’Callaghan, who has also called for repeat offenders to be jailed.
It’s time to adopt a common-sense approach and give persistent and violent offenders no quarter when it comes to custodial sentencing.