Quote from Humpy:
The prisons are so overcrowded that offenders are being released early here in the UK.
The problem with British penitentiary system is the inheritance of the late Middle ages when it was particular concern that "justice" was cheap. So, (except for a few V.I.P.s) a convict would be let go (usually with a fine), sent to a (for profit) labour camp or subject to capital panishmenet.
So, the convicted person either goes free or experiences rather harsh punishment.
Similarly, modern British laws dictate that most people with first-time or minor offenses (like shoplifting) go free with
conditional discharge, which is not even counted as conviction for record purposes. However, if they got caught the 2nd or 3rd time, they will get a 2-3 year prison sentense... and contribute to overcrowding of prisons.
In comparison, in a few Northern European countries courts routinely hand out 2-3 week prison sentences. This means that:
1) Most people who reseive criminal conviction actually experince some kind of punishment (while in the UK more convicted peopel go free after the court judgement than not)
2) Minor offenders get a proper taste of prison life early on before they become repeated offenders
3) A lot of people sentenced to prison term don't spend enough time in prison to get close with gangs. (Especially with most prisoners geven week-ends off prison.)
4) Due to short terms those receiving a prison sentence can keep their job (provided they had one). Just instead of holiday in a tropical country they have a holiday in prison.
Also keeping someone in prison for a year is substantially more expensive than sending a teenager to a top boarding school for the same term.
