NCJ Number
132990
Date Published
1991
Length
223 pages
Annotation
Statistics are compiled on offenses reported or known to the South Australian police in 1990, criminal matters finalized in courts, adult offenders subject to programs administered by the Department of Correctional Services, and appearances before children's courts and children's aid panels by alleged juvenile offenders.
Abstract
The statistics indicate an increase of 12.4 percent over 1989 in the number of selected offenses reported or known to the police in 1990. The greatest increase occurred for the offense category of robbery and extortion. Property crimes such as larceny, breaking and entering, and property damage represented 85.7 percent of the selected offenses reported. A total of 35,551 finalized cases in courts of summary jurisdiction fell within the data collection boundaries, an increase of 20 percent over 1989. About two-thirds of lower court defendants were convicted of their major charge. Sentences of direct imprisonment were awarded to 7.4 percent of offenders convicted by courts of summary jurisdiction. Approximately two-thirds of lower court defendants were under the age of 30 years, and 84.5 percent were male. The number of cases before supreme and district courts increased by 19.2 percent between 1989 and 1990. In the higher court, the most frequent penalties imposed were suspended imprisonment and direct imprisonment. The number of new admissions to prison in 1990 totaled 3,805, a decrease of 2.8 percent from 1989. However, the daily average prison population rose to 928, an increase of 7.9 percent over 1989. There was a 12.6 percent increase over 1989 in the number of appearances before the children's court and children's aid panels. About two-thirds of these appearances involved property offenses, and the most frequent outcomes were bonds or fines. Additional survey information is appended. 112 tables