Blue Mist said:
Just going to check back in a mo,
I am sure they have to say how long you are in for ............
Just nicked this of the Telegraph from October 2013
"A triple killer, who slashed a pensioner’s throat when he tried to stop him robbing a neighbour, has avoided a whole life prison sentence after the judge said such a punishment was illegal under European law."
Well I'm far from an expert mate but I do have a bit of an understanding of the law and the way I understand it is there is a huge difference between a life sentence and a large fixed term.
A lifer with even a short tarriff has no right to ever be released. I know of cases of people getting a 12-15 rec who are still no further along the line than cat B after 30/35 years.
A fixed term is exactly that. As far as I'm aware Watkins could spend every day of the next 35 years telling the authorities he intends to rape a child on release and nobody can stop him walking out of jail a free man, when he has served every day of his sentence.
Every lifer has to convince the authorities they can be trusted before release and are under probation for the rest of their life.
Apologies if the law has moved on recently but that's my understanding of how it stood not so very long ago.