Increase gaol (jail) sentences to reflect increased life expectency.
Minimum and maximum sentences for most crimes were set based upon a much shorter life expectency. As a result the percentage of life a criminal spent behind bars for a crime commited now compared to the time spent behind bars when the legislation was created is much shorter.
The impact of this is that gaol sentences are less of a deterent than they were.
Fo example a person given a 20 year sentence in the past at age 30 may not have expected to get out of gaol. However, a person of equal age given a 20 year sentence now would come out as a fit and kicking 50 year old ( assuming the sentence was actually enforced in full).
I would expect to see all gaol sentences reviewed and the maximum penalty potentially doubled.
Why is this idea important?
Minimum and maximum sentences for most crimes were set based upon a much shorter life expectency. As a result the percentage of life a criminal spent behind bars for a crime commited now compared to the time spent behind bars when the legislation was created is much shorter.
The impact of this is that gaol sentences are less of a deterent than they were.
Fo example a person given a 20 year sentence in the past at age 30 may not have expected to get out of gaol. However, a person of equal age given a 20 year sentence now would come out as a fit and kicking 50 year old ( assuming the sentence was actually enforced in full).
I would expect to see all gaol sentences reviewed and the maximum penalty potentially doubled.