Amman: The Ramtha Criminal Court has handed down harsher sentences for five habitual offenders, elevating their punishment to up to six years of hard labor. Their crimes included the theft of 800 meters of telephone line wire, and burglaries at a health center, a school, and a residence using a counterfeit key. The court found the first defendant guilty of stealing 800 meters of electricity cable, initially sentencing him to three years of hard labor. However, given his repeat offender status and previous convictions within the past decade that were not overturned, his sentence was doubled to six years under Article 101/1 of the Penal Code. The second defendant was convicted of breaking into a house using a counterfeit key. His original three-year sentence was doubled to six years due to his criminal record. In a similar ruling, the court increased the third defendant's sentence from three to six years for robbing a health center, citing his habitual criminal behavior and two prior convictions within the last decade. The fourth defendant, also a repeat offender, saw his sentence for theft raised from three to four years. The fifth defendant's sentence was increased from three to four years after it was established that he had a history of felony thefts, including the burglary of a school. These stiffer sentences reflect the court's ongoing efforts to combat crime, reduce recidivism, and enhance both general and specific deterrence in the community. Source: Jordan News Agency