Mercy Muroki: What is the point of life sentences being handed out in heinous crimes if the convicts are inevitably let loose on the public again?

Figures from the Ministry of Justice have revealed that over the past decade, 129 criminals who were jailed for life went on to be handed second life sentences after being let out of prison and reoffending, in most cases, murdering again.

The data shows that in 2019, a repeat offender was given a SECOND life sentence and sent back to prison every 3 weeks.

Those include the likes of Steven Unwin and William Mcfall who were jailed for murdering pensioners in the 1990s – on their release they decided to torture a murder a mother-of-two, leading to their being sent back to prison again for a second time.

In another case, a paedophile was given life for raping and attacking a child. He was released... and guess what, he went on and committed a similar sex attack HE was also handed a life sentence for a second time.

Now, all of this shows that serious questions have to be raised about the Parole Board's decision-making.

They have a catalogue of poor decisions under their belt that have come back to bite them over the last few years, not least releasing double child killer Colin Pitchfork, who was sent back to prison within a few months, and being forced into u-turning on their decision to release black cab rapist John Worboys.

And questions, of course, must tbe raised about the conditions of released lifers and the appropriate level of supervision... But actually – there's a more straight-forward solution is there not.

I would much rather we stop releasing the most violent monsters in the first place. What is the point of life sentences being handed out in these heinous crimes if the convicts are inevitably let loose on the public again?

Life should absolutely mean life in these sorts of crimes. I can't fathom how a whole life order is not the ONLY appropriate punishment for someone who rapes and attacks a child, or kills any innocent vulnerable person in a calculated, merciless attack.

I accept that these convicts serve a very long time in prison by the time they're deemed fit to release, and I understand they appear to have changed. But just because someone is reformed, I don't think they should necessarily win the right to be back on our streets.

And Quite frankly, I don't care how much it costs to keep a violent murderer in prison for life – I don't care how much it costs to build more prisons.

Because if that's the price we have to pay to make sure these irredeemable monsters don't ever get to harm my loved ones, your loved ones, then surely that is a price worth paying.