Longer prison terms might not be the answer

IS THE Scottish criminal justice system a soft touch? The case for the prosecution comes in figures unearthed in a special Scotsman investigation using Freedom of Information legislation. The Scotsman can reveal that since 2003, some 334 people convicted under the category of "serious assault or attempted murder" have served sentences of less than six months.

There are over 14,000 short prison sentences handed out each year by the Scottish courts, so this represents a tiny fraction of the whole. However, most reasonable people will need some explanation of why serious criminals – even if only 60 a year – ...