NCJ Number
104552
Date Published
1986
Length
38 pages
Annotation
This 1986 citizen handbook on crime and criminal justice policy in South Australia updates the 1979 edition in discussing crime rates and trends, crime victim services, criminal law, the courts, and sentencing.
Abstract
After describing the primary sources of criminal law in South Australia, the handbook outlines the adult and juvenile court systems. The discussion of sentencing and parole considers South Australia's sentencing patterns compared to other Australian jurisdictions, sentencing factors, sentencing options, the parole system, and factors bearing on parole decisionmaking. The Royal Pardon is described, and a review of crime rates and trends notes that the vast majority of serious crimes are property crimes and crime increases parallel those in Western industrial nations. Possible explanations of the high property crime rate are offered, and issues in the development of criminal justice policies are reviewed, followed by descriptions of crime victim services, including compensation. Discussions of law reform and gun control in South Australia conclude the handbook. Appendixes contain a source list of criminal justice data and a list of publications of the South Australia Office of Crime Statistics.