POLL: Are our judicial sentences too weak?

Call for stronger sentences and tougher hurdles for parole release of our criminals

A MACKAY resident has lambasted what he calls weak judicial sentences and "unrepentant foul criminals" amid growing frustrations on his own part, and others.

Rod Smith, from Mount Pleasant, said he had three questions he wanted to put to Mackay residents to gauge their views on the issue.

Mr Smith said "a big majority of reasonably law-abiding people are getting serious angry and frustrated", particularly towards the judicial system.

"(They are) frustrated by the appalling weakness of sentences by law courts against, too often, extremely dangerous, unrepentant foul criminals," he said in a letter sent to the Daily Mercury.

"Never would a month - often only a week - go past without the Daily Mercury reporting at least one such case, and to make it even worse, so many of these people are repeat offenders, some of whom openly laugh at the incredible softness of the law."

He posed three questions, and has called on Mackay residents to have their say.

Mr Smith asked whether residents believed sentences from the courts were too weak, and whether they thought the parole board too quickly released dangerous offenders, of which many "waste no time before committing more serious crimes".

His third controversial question related to punishment for convicted offenders, the most extreme of which was lethal injection he said should be reserved for the "special cases" such as Martin Bryant or serial killer Ivan Milat.

"During the past 25 years at least I have written many a very critical letter to several Queensland premiers and their ministers for justice, and to a few local magistrates too," Mr Smith said.

"Don't forget how frustrating and demoralising it is for our police force.

"I know some of them really do have this thought: 'Why do we bother catching these repeat offenders when we know this … justice system sets them free again?'

"I am far from alone, I believe it's popular opinion about the law."

If you have an opinion, email a letter to the editor to [e-mail]

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