NCJ Number
73843
Date Published
1980
Length
680 pages
Annotation
The interim results of a study of Australian Federal crime and punishment by the Law Reform Commission of Australia are reported, and suggestions for improvements are made.
Abstract
As the first of its kind, the report is based on the following major special studies: a national survey of judges and magistrates, a survey of Federal prosecutors, a national survey of Federal prisoners, a study of public opinion, a survey of Federal police files, and a survey of judicial officers. As a result of the report, three major problem areas emerge: the need for (1) greater consistency and uniformity in Federal sentencing, (2) improved victim services, and (3) new alternatives to imprisonment. The commission's recommendations with regard to sentencing include the establishment of a Commonwealth Sentencing Commission composed of judicial officers and other experts who would prepare detailed and publicly available sentencing criteria, the uniform improvement of Australian Federal prisons, the revision of penalties provided for in Commonwealth legislation, and the abolition of parole or a substantial reform of parole to make it fairer and more consistent in Federal cases. To reduce the plight of crime victims, the report suggests a nationwide victim compensation scheme. Regarding alternatives to prisonization, the report proposes the enactment of a law that imprisonment should be used only where no other sanction would achieve the desired objectives, the development of alternatives, and the possibility of having Federal courts impose noncustodial sentences available in other jurisdictions, such as community service orders. The report is supported by numerous statistical charts. The survey questionnaires and a national survey of offenders are appended.