When Someone is Sentenced to Prison Should They Do the Whole Sentence?

I believe that if you get given a sentence then you should serve the full time youve been given but a lot of people know they wont do full time and do half the sentence with good behaviour

The whole system is wrong do full time if you can do the crime you should do the time

for instance a drug dealer gets 5 years but a child fiddler only gets 2 and half

I agree that the punishment should fit the crime but the sentencing is all wrong at the start because the judicial system needs a complete overhaul and sentencing guidelines need to be seriously looked at.

Apart from that, yes, the length of time served should be the sentence given. It makes a mockery of the system when you give a 10 year sentence and know that they will only serve 5 years. They should behave in prison anyway - they get far more benefits and access to tv, gyms etc than I do at home. Just say what they will actually serve and stop shilly shallying about.

It would be far better to be given a full sentence that fits the crime and then be given time off for good behaviour and gaining educational qualifications whilst inside. Along the lines of 6 months off for each A level, a year to 18 months for a degree etc. Hopefully they would come out a lot less ignorant, have more pride in their ability to lead a good life and make a contribution to society.

If they cause trouble or commit crime inside then take away the time off they have earned and have to build it up again.

They can't chuck them out quickly enough if a judge sets a sentence of 5 years that should be the minimum any bad behaviour Wilst in prison time should get added on

hell yes

Yes

Yes. Prisons sentences need to be longer too & our prisons should be tougher.

are you talking about determinate sentences only? because often with lifers and IPP sentences they serve way LONGER than the stipulated tariff set by the judge

It does make a mockery you should get to serve full sentence preferably time added for bad behaviour instead of time off for good

This is a really interesting question. As you say, the punishment not only has to fit the crime, it also has to be seen to fit the crime and this can be a difficult balance to strike. I don't know whether someone sentenced to prison time should do the whole sentence- it depends on the circumstances of each individual case.

Yes the full sentence should be served, some criminals get away far too lightly for crimes that have a lasting effect on the victims

Yes they should

I think judges occasionally stipulate the minimum an offender should serve and that maybe that should happen more often so that there can be some reward for good behaviour and clear evidence that the offender has learnt their lesson and is not likely to offend again. Sadly the system does not seem to be able to keep tabs on offenders when they are released which does not help.

I agree

I personally think letting people out for good behaviour is a good thing. However, they need to properly monitor the inmates to see whether they’ve actually changed or they’re just putting on an act.

I don't think it's that black and white, ideally the time should match the crime , but I imagine that the thought of getting out earlier for good behaviour makes it easier to control prisoners. As when you think about it prison officers are out numbered. Some crimes can forgiven murder etc & they should service the majority of their sentence.