like a pair of bottle rockets - The official guidance for the courts, which comes...

24th January 2012

Quote with 2 notes

The official guidance for the courts, which comes into force next month, also recommends a less draconian approach to the sentencing of “drug mules”.

The council says it recognises that mules are often women who have been coerced or exploited by organised criminals: judges should take a six-year prison sentence as their “starting point”, rather than the current 10 years, when considering cases of mules playing a “lesser role” in bringing in up to 1kg of heroin or cocaine….

“The whole system of sentencing for drug offences needs significant reform as the reality is that the UK gives longer sentences for supply than most other countries,” she said, pointing out that the starting point for importing a “medium amount” of heroin was 11 years while the starting point for a rape was five years.

— Ugh, and I thought this article was going to make me happy.

Tagged: drugs the war on drugs drug law uk feminism