Philpott Sentence

Sorry! I'm sure everyone finds it really interesting.

If we really want to. Learn, that is. (yawn)

We live and learn.

Not so much statistics, but serious cases are reviewed by the Prison and Probation Ombudsman and the Home Secretary comes down on prison governors if they they fail to ensure risk has been properly managed. Several have been sacked over the years. I remember the governor of a Cat D open prison being marched off the premises by two home office officials, carrying his office belongings in a black refuse bag. That was something to do with prisoners dealing drugs in the prison.

Thanks when. Seems quite a responsibility for the PG, are the statistics held against them in any way? Glad I'm not in that job, wouldn't want that on my conscience.

Surely with murder you have to prove intent? That's why drunken drivers who kill never get charged with murder and hardly ever even manslaughter - isn't it something to do with mens rea- bell at back of mind.

That should say 'if they release a prisoner before their Latest Date of Release and they commit a further imprisonable offence.'

I wonder if they had charged him with manslaughter instead of murder because they didn't think they could be sure of a conviction if it was a murder charge? Can anyone advise.

Moved very short sentence prisoners come out automatically at the half-way stage - Automatic Date of Release - ADR. Over 12 month sentences, a risk assessment is done by prisons to determine whether prisoners can be released for home leave, hostel leave or on an electronic tag when they reach the relevant stage of their sentence, depending on whether they can be released safely. Violent and serious offenders are not allowed this privilege early in their sentence, only when they move to open conditions and have demonstrated progress in all the risk areas, such as substance abuse, attitude to offending, taking responsibility, behaviour in prison, problem-solving abilities and another 6 or 7 areas (Offender Assessment System - OASys - can be found on Google). If they abuse this privilege, they remain inside until their Latest Date of Release - LDR. That's the date beyond which it would be illegal to keep them in prison.

For those with long sentences, they have to work towards a Discretionary Date of Release - DCR. Many go past this date because of their attitude and behaviour. I don't know the statistics, but one group can't be compared with another.

Prison Governors (Grade 1) are personally responsible if they release a prisoner and they commit a further imprisonable offence.

He wasn't convicted of murder was he?

They put the really nasty characters up here Durham or Brasside

I thought they tend to put the violent prisoners in the same sort of prison. Prisons are categorised aren't they?

I would have thought the prison Philpott will be sent to won't be housing many non-violent criminals.

I don't share this pessimistic view of most prisoners - I believe most are in for non-violent crime and they do hate child murderers and rapists.

He may well be admired in prison for his ability to live off two very stupid women and to get the system to support his lifestyle. His history of violence will be a plus to other inmates. He is a class act when it comes to manipulation. Whether the fact that six children died will unbalance the scales of justice on the inside I don't know. I pity the warders if he kills himself in prison. Hope they don't send him up here.

I am not saying don't lock the evil B*** up and throw away the key. I think he should have life with no chance of being let out. Particularly as he has previously been inside for violence.

Violence is violence though. I do not see how one sort can be condoned and another not, given that half the other prisoners are probably inside for similar crimes of violence but did not happen to kill six people in one go.

I do not see that anything else makes sense. The idea of being beaten up in prison will not deter anyone else, as I suspect it does not even occur to the likes of this sort of persitantly violent person to even consider that he might be caught. Even if he did stop to think that it might be wrong.

Some violent people are incapable of thinking first and will never change or be safely released.

Oh, dear - I thought it was obvious that I don't really condone violence in any shape or form! Should have remembered the emoticon.

Nelliemoser how can burning six children to death, or at the very least causing them to be smoke asphixiated, be compared with any kind of violence these people might encounter in prison?

"'twere better for them that a stone be hung round their neck and they be cast into the sea........."

Can't find any good moral feeling in me whatsoever for these people. I hope they get what they deserve.

If that makes me a bad person, so be it.

Agree Nellie.Not a good moral code.

speckie

I disagree very strongly with any condoning of other prisoners exacting what they would consider to be retribution.

It is completely illogical even given the violence Philpott has perpetrated to not prevent others exacting more violence in return.

That is "choosing" that one sort of violence is permissable and other types are not. Mr Philpott would probably have argued that his abused partners "deserved it!"

Thanks when. Do you have any figures on what percentage leave half way through their sentence and how many stay for the full term? It feels as if most serve less than half so it would be good to know the facts.

At present, our justice system sentences are constructed in a way that allows for remorse, rehabilitation and evidence of consistent good behaviour. Partly to motivate prisoners to make progress and partly because our prisons are crammed full and we occasionally need to find ways to reduce numbers. Long term prisoners do not necessarily benefit from this, but the incentive to spend less time in prison at the end of their sentence applies across the board. Some prisoners will never earn such privileges, but many are rehabilitated and able to demonstrate their remaining sentence can be served in the community after they complete the required length. Serious offenders will usually go from prison to probation hostels, where they participate in a structured regime of further rehabilitation and education, as well as finding work.

I can't agree that he should be subjected to violence, even if it is what he understands, although I do have to admit that my first thought yesterday was to give him a 2 week sentence then let him out and publish his address! I got over that though.

He will have to be kept in solitary confinement, who would share a cell with THAT and not want to throttle him.