Knife Crime Punishment - What do you think?

[Lewiis,]

During the year to June 2012 there were approximately 29,613 recorded offences involving knives or other sharp instruments, accounting for 7% of offences, a similar proportion to previous years. The number of knife offences recorded was 9% lower than in the previous year.

According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales in 2011/12 a knife was used in 6% of all incidents of violence.

Juveniles (aged 10-17) were the offenders in 17% of cases.
The custody rate was 10% for juveniles and 28% for adults.

Possession of a knife can carry a prison sentence of up to 4 years even if it's not used and 4 years to a life sentence if used with intent to kill/injur.

This debate will focus on that sentence and if you think it's not long enough or too long for adults and Juveniles and why?

Personally I think the sentence for carrying a Knife is low and with many Juveniles escaping the sentence due to age it does not carry enough power to make people think "Maybe I shouldn't carry this knife". On the other hand I do always wonder why that person carries the knife in the first place.

Overall my opinion would be to increase the sentence for carrying a Knife to try and deter people from carrying them around. On the sentence times for using a Knife with intent to kill/injure I believe 4 years - Life is a good sentence and one that a judge should always consider depending on circumstances.

[The Don]

Rather than overcrowding prisons with harsh sentences i would aim to rehabilitate young offenders and educate them. This would potentially prevent future generations from continuing this cycle as there would be an increase in social mobility.

[-:Undertaker:-]

I don't think there should be a sentence for carrying a knife, and I think if a knife is used in self defence then it's entirely reasonable and use of force should be judged by a jury based on the circumstances. As for what I judge to be genuine knife crime (ie, murder carried out with a knife or a mugging or random stabbing) then obviously it depends on the case itself - but I certainly think violent crime should carry a harsh prison sentence along with making prison a punishment again rather than what they are presently like ie, comparable to holiday camps.

For crime in general, we need a return to much less relaxed conditions in prison with a harsher environment for inmates - along with an end to the current weak system where offenders can fail to be sent to prison despite having numerous offences on their record and are instead let out with an electronic tag under the guise of 'rehabilitation' or 'care in the community' - both of which make peoples lives in this country an absolute misery as they find the law just doesn't punish the wicked properly and is now often seen to actually side with the offender rather than the victim.

A return to 1950s-esque prisons & punishment is whats needed. Not cruel, but not very nice.