Appropriate Sentencing.

Yesterday an elderly woman was given three months in prison for refusing to pay £800 Council Tax.


The juxtaposition of this and another item in today's Times highlights the conflict about appropriate sentences. "Council Tax rebel jailed for three months for owing £800" and "Judges threaten to quit over attacks on their lenient sentencing".
There was nothing lenient or appropriate about the three months given to Mrs Rooney. The criticism in this particular case should be the lack of perspective and over reaction in such a savage and inappropriate sentence. There were a number of options. If this was Mrs Rooney's first offence an absolute discharge could have been considered. At the very least the sentence should have been a suspended one.


It is little wonder that the jails in the United Kingdom are filled to overflowing when such ridiculous and excessive judgements are made.