A diagnosis of mental illness does not automatically render an offender an inappropriate vehicle for general deterrence; the mental illness must have a causal connection to the offending or reduce the offender's capacity for self-control. The mitigating effect of an Aboriginal offender's background of social deprivation under Fernando principles diminishes with the passage of time and repeated offending, though it remains a relevant consideration. Attacks on prison officers in the execution of their duty require sentences with a significant component of both personal and general deterrence.
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