McGrath is right - judges act within guidelines laid down for them.
I would suggest that the problem isn't the judges, it lies with people who expect the judges (and the police, and 'them' in general) to sort out society's problems. The sort of people who read and believe the Daily Mail and the Daily Express. The sort of people who think that writing in capitals lends weight to an argument.
The UK already locks up more of its population per capita than any European country save Turkey (hmm, flattering comparison, eh?). Yet we are being urged by the media and the shouters to put more people behind bars. Can someone tell me the logic in that?
Particularly when crime has actually fallen over the past decade.