Crime and Punishment in Australia, 1980-2000 (From Crime and Punishment in Western Countries, 1980-1999, P 295-330, 2005, Michael Tonry and David P. Farrington eds. - See NCJ-241530)

• NCJ Number: 241538
• Author(s): Carlos Carcach
• Date Published: 2005
• Length: 36 pages
• Sale Source: University of Chicago Press
• Publication Format: Book Chapter
• Publication Type: Statistics; Historical Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This chapter discusses crime reporting for Australia from 1980-2000.

Abstract

Over the 20 years from 1980 to 2000, Australia experienced sustained increases in the incidence of robbery, serious assault, and rape; declines in motor vehicle theft; and stability in homicide and burglary. Persons convicted of homicide, serious assault, burglary, and motor vehicle theft received longer sentences. The exceptions were robbery and rape. Limited access to uniform national crime statistics and time-series data on crime-related socioeconomic factors makes explaining these trends difficult. Differences in the responses of States and Territories to crime and lack of uniform court and prison statistics make identification of the factors underlying the risk of offending complicated. The risk of punishment seems to be negatively associated with crime rates, but trying to explain this apparent relationship is adventurous. Development of uniform and integrated national crime statistics systems remains a priority. (Published Abstract)