Free passes for crims canned

JUDGES gave one in three offenders convicted of home invasions last year a free pass. 
 
Of all people sentenced in the County and Supreme courts in 2010-11 for aggravated burglary, 32 per cent were given a wholly suspended sentence.
But the days of judges freeing offenders without penalty are coming to an end.
Sentencing Act changes passed last year mean judges can not impose a suspended sentence for any offence of aggravated burglary committed after May 1, last year.
Attorney-General Robert Clark said the new Sentencing Advisory Council statistics showed why one of the Coalition Government's first acts was to abolish suspended sentences for serious crimes such as aggravated burglary.
"The days are over when those who commit violent home invasions can walk straight out of court on a pretend jail term," he said.

Less than half (48 per cent) the 176 offenders convicted of aggravated burglary in the higher courts in 2010-11 were jailed.
The maximum penalty for aggravated burglary, which is committed when an offender is armed or enters a home when people are inside, was increased to 25 years in 1997.
The average length of jail sentences imposed by judges in 2010-11 was two years and 10 months, the highest in five years.
Sentences for aggravated burglary have risen since the Court of Appeal and former Director of Public Prosecutions, Jeremy Rapke QC, called on judges to take a harder line.
The Court of Appeal said in 2009 that sentences being imposed for aggravated burglary did not reflect the very high maximum set by Parliament.
The court said the public saw home invasions as extremely serious and expected courts to sentence offenders accordingly.
Mr Clark reiterated that the Government, which last year banned suspended sentences for serious crimes, would legislate to abolish them for all crimes by the end of its first term.

heraldsun.com.au 22 Jun 2012

Another example of laws for criminals, where judges do NOT penalise criminals for their actions in effect supporting the criminal act itself.

Victims go uncompensated, whilst criminals walk free to reoffend, with full support of the government. 

The policy is to let out the criminals to keep the general populous at bay, as can been seen by the actions reported, which will apparently cease from the near future, only misinformation to keep the masses subdued.

It really does 'pay' to be a criminal in Australia.