NCJ Number
173473
Date Published
1995
Length
8 pages
Annotation
The Children's Court of New South Wales, established in 1987, has jurisdiction in matters involving children other than the completion of proceedings for serious indictable crimes and has several distinctive characteristics related to sentencing principles, penalty options, and procedures.
Abstract
The Children's Court deals with a wide range of offenses, including many indictable offenses that would fall outside the jurisdiction of local courts if committed by adults. For example, during the period between September 1989 and December 1994, the Children's Court sentenced 1,100 offenders for various types of robbery, including armed robbery and robbery with striking. Unlike offenders dealt with in other criminal jurisdictions, many young offenders appear before community-based panels and engage in restitutive or rehabilitative activities such as community service and counseling programs before appearing in the Children's Court for sentencing. Sentencing practices of the Children's Court deal with a wide range of practical circumstances, from minor first offenses to all but the most serious indictable offenses. Distinctive features of the Children's Court have developed in response to the unique needs of young offenders and especially in response to the need to prevent young offenders from being further caught up in the criminal justice system and becoming career criminals. An overview of sentencing patterns in the Children's Court is presented, and data are provided on the most common offenses dealt with by the Children's Court. 2 tables and 10 figures