The prison population is becoming far too large, and the prison system should not have to operate so close to its overcrowded capacity. Those responsible for imposing sentences had to take into account the impact on the prison system. It was not intended to deter courts from sending to prison those who committed offences involving violence or intimidation or other grave crimes. There were, however, offences where a community punishment or a fine could be a more appropriate form of sentence. In the case of economic crimes prison was not necessarily the only appropriate form of punishment. For those who had no record of previous offending, the very fact of having to appear before a court could be a significant punishment.
Judges:
Lord Chief Justice Of England And Wales -Lord Woolf, Lord Justice Rose, And, Lord Justice Judge
Citations:
Times 07-Mar-2002, [2002] EWCA Crim 519, [2002] 2 Cr App R(S) 495
Links:
Jurisdiction:
England and Wales
Criminal Sentencing
Updated: 23 November 2022; Ref: scu.167716
