Judges blast crime policies, warning they won't make Victoria safer Retired Justice Frank Vincent. Populist political policies marketed as "tough on crime" will prove unjust, counter-productive and may make Victoria more dangerous in the long term, according to two of the state's most respected Supreme Court judges. Retired Justices Frank Vincent (1985 to 2009) and John Coldrey (1991 to 2008) say the trend to jail more offenders will only lead to many of them becoming more violent on release. And both, who are former members of the Adult Parole Board, say tightening parole conditions could lead to more inmates serving their full terms and being released without supervision. "When I left as chair of the Parole Board in 2001 the prison population was about 2000 and now it is over 6000 and yet there is no evidence to suggest society has become significantly more dangerous," Justice Vincent told Fairfax Media. There is nothing to suggest that this will make us any safer. In fact the opposite may well be true with a reduction in public safety connected to the increased levels of incarceration. The present prison population is at a record high of about 6200 with the state government committing to fund a further 2600 jail beds. Despite the jump in prison numbers the parole rate has dropped from 1606 last year to 1185 while the number refused has increased from 425 to 834. Last week the Asia Pacific Coroners Conference was warned of potentially "explosive" problems in the prison system as rehabilitation programs struggle to deal with the massive increase in numbers. The conference was told that prison alcohol and drug programs were falling behind, with inmates unable to apply for parole without completing the courses, leaving them, "just sitting there." The Victoria Alcohol and Drug Dependence Association says that despite an Hepatitis C epidemic inside jails, "only three of the 14 prisons in Victoria offer HCV treatment." The two judges who worked as defence barristers before being appointed to the bench reflect a growing concern in the judiciary that politicians of both major parties are restricting court's abilities to take into account the individual circumstances of each case. Justice Coldrey, who is also the former Director of Public Prosecutions, said he was concerned new laws that limited sentencing options would restrict judges' ability to act fairly. The state government has closed the option of suspended sentences and introduced a mandatory 10-year minimum for one punch manslaughters. "Mandatory sentencing laws are a recipe for injustice," Justice Coldrey said. Justice must be individualised. It is not about sentences being heavy or light but being appropriate in all circumstances," Justice Vincent said. The suggestion that heavier sentences and arbitrary mandatory sentences will reduce crime does not make sense. It is a primitive approach that has been disproved by research again and again over the years. Both judges said mandatory sentences could lead to juries becoming less likely to convict in some cases.