The no-nonsense prison sentences dished out to many of the ‘English rioters’ in the last few weeks sent out a clear message that this type of criminal behaviour is unacceptable.
For a very brief period, justice has been delivered swiftly and the punishments have been intentionally harsh, which in turn has acted as a clear deterrent and helped in preventing further outbreaks of disorder.
If our criminal justice system worked as effectively as this all the time... more
Mick Gradwell is a regular columnist for the Lancashire Evening Post