NCJ Number
231406
Date Published
September 2009
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This bulletin describes the characteristics of individuals convicted for drunk driving in 2002 in New South Wales (NSW) and analyzed how these characteristics relate to the likelihood of reconviction within 5 years.
Abstract
Highlights of the report include: (1) 14.3 percent of prescribed concentration of alcohol (PCA) offenders returned to court within 5 years charged with a non-PCA driving offense; (2) 15.5 percent of PCA offenders returned to court for another drunk driving offense within 5 years; (3) several New South Wales groups were found to be most at risk for returning to court for PCA and non-PCA offenses: men, Indigenous offenders, younger offenders, offenders who lived in areas with the highest level of socioeconomic disadvantage, offenders who received a driver license disqualification of between 1 and 6 months either as the principal penalty for their index offense or in addition to, and offenders with two or more convictions in the 5-year period prior to their index offense; and (4) those offender who had all of these risk factors had an estimated 35.5 percent chance of being convicted for drunk driving and an estimated 49.0 percent chance of being convicted for a non-PCA driving offense within 5 years of their index offense. Drunk drivers make up a substantial proportion of all persons charges in NSW Local Court appearances. In 2007, 1 in 5 people with a finalized charge were charged with exceeding the PCA. This bulletin provides information on reoffending among drunk drivers in NSW. It describes the socio-demographic and criminal history characteristics of persons appearing in NSW local courts for drunk driving offenses and the penalties imposed, and it examines the risk factors associated with their reoffending. 6 tables, 2 figures, 19 notes, and 40 references