Daily Telegraph Letters page today
The latest figures (2007) for drug offences show that the average fine for the possession of crack cocaine was £38.33, and heroin £65.83. The average parking ticket is around £60.
Are our priorities a little confused?
Discuss........................
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I think the figures will have changed a bit in 4 years but they look a bit skewed! Perhaps it is some thing to do with parking tickets being a local issue and drugs fines go to central Government?
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You forget . . .
This liberal democracy we have wants punishment to fit the ability to pay, not the crime.
The majority of people convicted of possession of crack cocaine have just spent their last two pennies (or so) buying it and have no money or income to pay the fine being on benefits and broke.
Anyone who can afford to run a car has riches beyond belief to a crack addict, that is why the addicts keep stealing from the rest of us.
Now how do you justify to parliament that you are going to fine these poor, afflicted individuals (the crack addicts not the motorists) more than they can afford to pay?
What a stupid system we live in - we shouldn't put up with it.
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you think fining people who cant pay is a good idea?
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In the old days a judge sentencing a woman for soliciting would ask how long it would take her to earn the fine.
How long will it take you to steal the money to pay this drug fine?
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Are we sure Mr Hay's figures are accurate?
But like Z says there's limited mileage in fining those who cannot pay and are already chronically addicted. Only treatment will help.
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Fines are useless in these areas of serious crime.
People who overstay in parking slots should simply be hanged, not hanged, drawn and quartered like black teenagers caught smoking dope.
I'm sure many of you will agree, although there are of course confused sentimentalists everywhere.
Purify society now! So much better for legitimate business. And think how impressed all the foreigners will be.
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At the risks of being called a liberal I'm for a more moderate regime AC and would be mostly happy with public flogging for simple motoring offences although there are exceptions . You have to have a degree of proportionality in your punishment. There have been cases of drug taking whilst parked on a double yellow and the law needs to crack down hard on this this sort of behaviour.
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The DT has a long article today..
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8864288/Heroin-addicts-cost-society-850000-each-police-warn.html
Heroin addicts cost £850k each..
On that basis , the sooner we legalise the stuff and hasten them getting it free will save a lot of crime.
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Parking & Drug Fines - Meldrew
