Little justice in our sentencing guidelines

Sir, – With regard to the report in advising that new guidelines have set down the fundamental principles and purposes of sentencing for all offenders in Scottish courts (“First sentencing guidelines in Scotland’s courts introduced”, Courier, November 26), I just wonder if the judges could perhaps have taken one more very important step by looking at the serving of sentences.

I would assume that some law exists at present which decided that a prisoner would have to serve just half of his allotted sentence if he behaved himself like a good little boy in prison.

I have to ask – what is the point of a sheriff taking time to consider all the relevant factors of a crime to enable him to pass a sentence which is commensurate to the severity of the crime when the offender has only got to serve half of the sentence?

Prison is supposed to be a deterrent so I think steps should be taken to ensure that a sentence is served for the full term, for example 10 years means 10 years, five years means five years and so on.

In addition, of course, life should mean life just as it does in America.

Perhaps this might go some way to make potential offenders think twice.

They should know before they commit a crime that they would have to serve the total sentence in prison.

No doubt there are some “do-gooders” who would say that this would be an infringement of their human rights but it is only the way to make the punishment fit the crime.

John M Page.

8 Panter Crescent, Montrose.

Picture: Steve MacDougall. Outside the High Court in Edinburgh.