Where an offence is prevalent and its instance is increasing, courts may send a message to the community that such an offence will be dealt with severely. Courts take into account many factors in sentencing offenders. For instance, they might deal differently with an offender who has several convictions for similar offences in the recent past to someone with an unblemished record. Different again might be someone who has made a valuable contribution to the community and whose involvement in a crime is isolated and out of character. The courts have also developed principles that distinguish between offences involving lengthy planning and offences committed on the spur of the moment.
Courts also look at the state of a person's mental health.
Sadly many people who come before our courts suffer from psychiatric problems. Sometimes, people's intellectual capacity may be so diminished that they difficulty distinguishing between right an wrong. There may be a psychiatric evidence that the offender acts impulsively without considering the consequences. In some cases it can be demonstrated that the offender is easily led by older or persuasive co-offenders. Courts are also required to consider any special problems the offender may face in the event of being required to serve a full-time sentence of imprisonment.