Life.

Some of our politicians are fond of saying that a "life" prison sentence should mean just that. In Scotland, official figures suggest we have a very long way to go. Another example of the reality beating the rhetoric? Life may not need to mean life, but it ought to mean more than seven years.

"MOST Scottish prisoners on life sentences leave custody having served less than 12 years - with some being in jail for as little as seven, official figures revealed yesterday."