Pistorius's sentence

[David Johnson]

Well, it finally has arrived. Pistorius got 5 years for culpable homicide.

However, apparently, he is likely to either get out after half that time or even could be released after serving one sixth of the 5 years and be under "correctional supervision".

Women married to white South African men should be scared, very scared!!!

[spider]

Oscar?s bid in not being sent to jail has rested on two main arguments.

The first was that his disability will make his life difficult, if not impossible in prison, this is despite his years of campaigning to compete against able-bodied athletes (because he said he was as good as any able bodied person).

The second was that he was suffering horrifying remorse over the death of Reeva. That?s a bit like the man who murdered is parents and then asked the court to have leniency on him because he was an orphan.

I thought the justice system in the UK was poor but compared with what I have seen of the system in S. Africa it?s a model of fairness and efficiency.

[max_tranmere]

I've never understood the reduction in sentence thing. If you're given 5 years you should do five years, how can someone do half or less of that and it is 'sentence served'? If I owed someone ?100 I couldn't give them ?50 or less and it would be 'debt cleared' would it?

[spider]

Offering a reduction in the amount of time a prisoner has to serve is to encourage good behaviour whilst they are serving their sentence.

I thought that was obvious.

[Peter]

Although you could change it round so that bad behaviour got you longer, and still have the incentive part.

The big question is is 5 years long enough for him to become president?

[spider]

The IPC have banned him from competing for five years.



If he's too old to compete in running events then he could always enter one of the shooting disciplines.

[David Johnson]

!laugh!

Mind, I wouldn't like to be a competitor standing anywhere near him.

[MrTickle]

You'll be alright, just don't go to the toilet.

[Sam Slater]

I think bad behavior does get you longer.

[Sam Slater]

As spider points out, it's to encourage good behaviour. Also, the less time a person spends in prison the more chance they'll lead a good, normal life upon release.