Article: GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER; Labour's get tough policy on crime exposed as a sham as killers given life sentences now serve as little as six years.

Byline: GRAHAM GRANT

MORE than a third of criminals given life sentences in Scotland are released after serving less than ten years behind bars.

Some are freed as few as six years into their sentence, making a mockery of Labour's 'get tough' pledge to make the punishment fit the crime.

It means prisoners guilty of society's most reviled crimes, including murder and brutal rapes, are being freed after less than a decade.

The shocking figures expose the Scottish Executive's crime crackdown as a sham and highlight the growing 'soft touch' culture of the Scottish justice system.

Last night, they prompted calls for urgent reform ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

 
 
Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 80 million articles! Access over 6,500 publications with a FREE trial!