NCJ Number
91323
Date Published
1983
Length
39 pages
Annotation
After presenting an overview of Australian society, the criminal justice system, and crime patterns, this paper discusses the academic bases of Australian criminology, government criminological research activities, the existing criminological communication networks, and the future of Australian criminology.
Abstract
The overview of the criminal justice system considers the criminal law; law enforcement; prosecution and defense; adjudication; and corrections; while the discussion of patterns of criminality notes major crime trends and trends in homicide, terrorism, rape, robbery, drug offenses, and white-collar crime. Crime patterns among juveniles, aboriginals, and migrants are also briefly mentioned. The growth of criminology in Australia is portrayed as having been both recent and slow. It was not until the 1950's that the two oldest tertiary institutions in the country, the universities of Melbourne and Sydney, established centers devoted to teaching and research in the field of crime and the treatment of offenders. Criminology is taught primarily in law schools, although an increasing number of sociology, social work, psychology, and related degree courses expose students to criminological issues and materials. The Australian Institute of Criminology is the focal point for applied criminological research and training in Australia. Staffed by a core of experts, the institute has nurtured the development of an officially sanctioned and autonomous discipline. Communication between Australian criminologists has been facilitated through the Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology, seminars by the Sydney Institute of Criminology, the Academy of Forensic Sciences, and the Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science. A total of 153 notes and 60 bibliographic entries are provided.