was in work sat and the life should mean life march went past!this got me thinking if anything like this happend to me then should life mean life?

Related issues are of course

a. The cost of keeping someone locked up for life.

The argument here being "why should we ie the general public" have to pay such a huge amount for the individual to be kept away from the rest of society

Perhaps a system as in some third world countries would be more appropriate ie BASIC prison is pretty damned awful because it costs the absolute minimum - and an individual has to rely on family financial support for anything above the basic.

Technically too difficult to administer I guess

b. The conditions under which they are kept

You can argue (weak argument in my view) that prison is supposed to have a significant corrective element and therefore the prisoner should be given a good opportunity to learn a trade/ improve education so that they will be a better member of society when released. In order to have that training the prisoner needs to be provided with some facilities. I do not begrudge that IF and only IF the chances of the prisoner reforming and in future fitting in properly with their social responsibilities. Whether that can happen has to be a judgment by the authorities - however personally I fear that the authorities will always take the easy option ie shut their eyes to reality. However, WE are now taking about life meaning life and so there seems to be no apparent NEED to pander to thoughts of "reform" and fitting back into society on subsequent release.

Personal view is that prison should be a STRONG DETERRENT and not some glorified mix of a secondary college and a holiday camp. And yes, life should mean life with no privilages.

Snod

too true if you kill someone you should be looking at life?

Depends entirely on the circumstance, what if a member of your family were involved in an accident, in which someone lost their life.

Does that mean that your family member should receive a life sentence?

It may be an accident, but not everyone will perceive it as an accident, eg the victims family.

well thats its it where do you draw the line!

the victims family might not perceive it as an accident but that's obviously where the judges rulings come in.

But this would not be premeditated. Im all for capital punishment for murder cases were there is 100% evidence that the accussed is the murderer, i.e forensics, and as for rape and peadophillia cases these should be life imprisonment together and tattoo'd their crime on their forehead so that the rapists will rape the peado's. Aslyum seekers and foriegners in general that committ jail worthy crimes should be deported back to the country of origin, even if that country is unsafe or at war etc, unlucky, shouldnt have committed a crime in our country.