MCDONALD'S SENTENCE (2)

The most idiotic and counter-productive thing any court could do when faced
with a defendant convicted of a first-time drug offence would be to send
him to prison. As was admitted during the sentencing of Darren McDonald,
prisons are awash with drugs, and more people leave them with drug habits
than go in.

Far better for non-custodial sentenced to be used rather than exposing the
convicted to more, and harder, drugs. Of course, prison should remain an
option for repeat offenders, but in a case such as McDonald's, prison would
help nobody, and possibly worsen the situation. The court did the right thing.

Mark Chiddicks,
Ellerslie.