Prison Sentencing Guidelines – What Prison Sentence Will I Get?
Prison Sentencing Guidelines
Prison Sentencing Guidelines – What Prison Sentence Will I Get?
Once you’ve been found guilty, the sentence will be handed down by the judge. They will take into consideration a number of things including your age, the severity of the crime, if you have a previous criminal record and whether you pleaded guilty or not.
If you are looking for The Magistrates Sentencing Guidelines: Click Here
If you are looking for The Crown Court Sentencing Guidelines: Click Here
Aggrevating or mitigating circumstances are also taken into account when looking at the sentencing guidelines UK. Aggregating, such as burgling when someone is still in the house asleep in the bed.
Mitigating, such as mental health issues, problems in your life or anything else that may affect your behaviour.
Its important to remember, a custodial sentence for individuals between 18 and 20 will more than likely end up in a Young Offender Institution. 17 and under will go to a detention or training order.
After an arrest and a charge has been decided, the CPS (crown prosecution service) will decide whether to take it further to court proceedings.
A sentene is then used as a punishment by a judge or magistrate when soneone has been convicted of a crime and at the end of a prosecution.
The judge or magistrate then look at the facts to decide what is the appropriate sentence based on the seriousness of the crime, victims and how much responsibility the offender has for the crime.
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Prison Sentencing Guidelines
There are five purposes of sentencing the courts must bear in mind when dealing with the vast majority of adult offenders. These purposes are set out in s.57 of the Sentencing Code.
- To punish the offender – this can include going to prison, doing unpaid work in the community, obeying a curfew or paying a fine.
- To reduce crime – by preventing the offender from committing more crime, and putting others off from committing similar offences.
- To reform and rehabilitate offenders – changing an offender’s behaviour to prevent future crime, for example by requiring them to have treatment for drug addiction or alcohol abuse.
- To protect the public – from the offender and from the risk of more crimes being committed by them. This could be by putting them in prison, restricting their activities or supervision by probation.
- To make the offender give something back – for example, by the payment of compensation or through restorative justice. Restorative justice gives victims the chance to tell offenders about the impact of their crime and receive an apology.
How are sentences worked out in the UK?
When imposing a sentence, the judge or magistrate must refer to the law and this includes the maximum and minimum sentence as directed within the sentencing guidelines for that specific crime which has been committed and work out an appropriate sentence.
The kind of factors the judge or magistrates will consider will include seriousness of the offence, harm caused to the victim, the offender’s level of blame, their criminal record, their personal circumstances and whether they have pleaded guilty.