Punishment should fit crime, not prison place availability

10.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 8th Jul 2008

Commenting on official advice that burglars should normally be given community sentences, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said:

"Properly policed community sentences have a better track record at stopping re-offending than a first prison sentence, but the suspicion is that this advice is merely a convenient way of heading off government embarrassment over prison overcrowding.

"Punishments should fit the crime, not the availability of prison places.

"The clear evidence is that detecting crime deters the criminal far more than talking tough about longer sentences, which only ever apply to a small fraction of those who commit offences."