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Blunkett asks readers what they think

Gloucester Citizen readers are being urged to tell the Home Secretary if they don’t agree with “soft” sentencing of criminals in the county courts.

David Blunkett has been in contact with the paper about his plans to overhaul the criminal justice system.

He wrote after the Citizen’s front page splash demanding answers about his predecessor’s pledge to be tough on drugs offenders.

Readers were outraged over “soft” sentencing of two heroin dealers who were sentenced to two years’ probation.

The Government later appeared to distance itself from Jack Straw’s pre-election pledge.

Mr Blunkett told Citizen readers in an open letter to the paper that he recognised people were frustrated and angry – and said sentencing was too important to be left to judges and magistrates alone.

He wrote: “I want to hear what people think: not just those who have a traditional role or official interest in the criminal justice system, but those who have a right to be involved and be consulted – the public.”

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