Yup, that's the new UK Home Office policy on, I quote, "more than 60" crimes including burglary, arson, vandalism, "taking a car without its owner's consent" (read: grand theft auto, in the US), and statutory rape: If the offender doesn't have a criminal record, give him a caution and send him home. The caution goes on your record, but does not require jail time, a court appearance, or even a fine. The same "caution only" handling may also be applied, at police discretion, to offences including burglary of a shop or office, assault causing bodily harm, murder threats, and possession of Class A prohibited drugs.
The reasoning behind this? Apparently the Home Office doesn't believe in prisons and feels there's too many people in jail. They're also letting people out of prison much earlier due to overcrowding, as the Mail reports:
It emerged last month that some violent or sex offenders, given mandatory life sentences under a "two-strike" rule, have been freed after as little as 15 months.
And shoplifting, among other lesser crimes, is now apparently a fixed penalty, like a parking ticket.
Cautioning was used heavily in the late 1980s and early 1990s, particularly for juvenile offenders under 18.
Tory Home Secretary Michael Howard cracked down on cautions in 1994 because young thugs and thieves were getting repeated cautions but no punishment.
But cautioning for adult offenders is now on the rise. [Criminologist Dr David Green, of the Civitas think-tank] said: "The Home Office is missing its target to achieve a set number of offenders brought to justice. But it seems they regard a caution as an offender brought to justice.
"This is a nod and a wink to police forces - deal with your cases by cautions and we will hit our target."
I keep hearing things like this coming out of the UK in recent years. Each one convinces me more that the UK is going to hell in a handbasket.