Annual report 2003/04

ISSN 0311-449X
Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2004

Output 1.1: Policy advice and publications

The objective of Research services is to conduct and disseminate research which aims to promote justice and reduce crime.

Strategic priorities

The strategic priorities of Research services are to:

• provide information on, and analysis of, the causes, control and prevention of crime, and on the criminal justice system;
• develop innovative products and services in the field of criminological research and information to better meet the needs of key clients and stakeholders, including the provision of consultancy services; and
• anticipate the needs of major stakeholders by conducting proactive research into emerging areas of crime, including maintaining the ability to respond quickly to the needs of government.

Research programs

During the financial year 2003-04, there were four research programs within Research services, each with a different focus. They were:

• Violence, property crime and drugs program;
• Sophisticated crime, regulation and business program;
• Social policy and crime program; and
• Research dissemination and support program.

In addition to core research, Research services is responsible for publications, conferences, occasional seminars and roundtable meetings. Research services also provides administrative and advisory services for the research-funding activities of the CRC. Where appropriate, the CRC has agreed to coordinate its research priorities with those of the AIC.

Following is a brief summary of each of the research programs, which includes a full list of current and completed projects from the past financial year. Immediately following this section are highlights on key projects, including major developments and outputs.

Violence, property crime and drugs program

Objective

This program concentrates its resources on three key areas: violent crime, property crime, and drug-related research. Two central objectives underpin the work. The first of these is to maintain the ongoing research and monitoring projects across the three key areas to highlight emerging trends, inform strategic interventions, facilitate evaluation of key interventions and to inform the community. The second is to undertake specific research or evaluation projects that underpin public policy debate and development in areas of key interest to core stakeholders.

Violent crime

The majority of projects that fall within the violent crime component of the program are ongoing monitoring projects. While the NHMP (outlined below) was established in 1989, the AIC more recently began the process of developing further monitoring programs such as the NARMP. With the support and assistance of key stakeholders, such programs have the potential to establish high quality national data that is timely and focused on strategic government policy questions.

Property crime

Research related to property crime involves a number of projects, many of which have been evaluation projects. In addition, the AIC was involved in a national farm crime survey and has recently begun work on bushfire arson.

Drugs

Drug-related research at the AIC involves two major ongoing projects, namely the DUMA project and the DUCO project. Over the reporting period, both of these projects have been further expanded. Other projects include an evaluation of both the South Eastern and North Queensland drug courts.

All projects under this program active in the last year are listed below:

Monitoring projects

• DUMA
• NARMP
• NFMP
• NHMP

Criminal justice projects

• Australian Capital Territory police suburban crime prevention team
• Australian Capital Territory recidivist offenders
• Bushfire arson
• DUCO
• Farm crime surveys
• ICVS 2004
• Modelling illicit drug use, criminal offending behaviour and treatment in the criminal justice system
• NDLERF project on performance measurement in drug law enforcement
• Research into property crime for the Australian Capital Territory property crime reduction strategy
• South East and North Queensland drug court evaluations
• Weapon involvement in violent crime

Sophisticated crime, regulation and business program

Objective

This program is focused on the analysis of the extent, causes, prevention and control of financial crime, business and corporate crime, transnational criminal activity, high tech crime and other complex and sophisticated criminal activity. This program has been at the forefront of identifying emerging criminal threats and response strategies to sophisticated crime.

Criminal justice projects

Active projects over the last year include:

• Fraud and white collar crime
• Identity-related fraud
• Inquiry into fraud and electronic commerce
• Inquiry into violence associated with motor vehicle use
• Marine crime
• Money laundering regulation
• Professional regulation
• Serious fraud in Australia and New Zealand
• Technology and crime
• Transnational organised crime

Social policy and crime program

Objective

The resources of this program are concentrated on three key areas: ongoing monitoring programs, evaluation studies in crime and crime prevention, and assessments of the experience of crime. The content of these key areas is focused primarily on young people and juvenile justice, community corrections and prisoners, violence against women, crime prevention, and Indigenous persons within the justice system. The primary objectives are to identify trends and inform policy, evaluate intervention programs to assess their effectiveness in reducing reoffending and preventing crime, and to establish the nature and extent of particular types of crime experienced in the community and their effects.

All projects under this program group active in the last year are listed below:

Monitoring programs

• Juveniles in detention
• National police custody survey
• NDICP

Criminal justice projects

• ATSIC review of interim funding method for ATSILS
• Crime prevention research and development agenda
• Crimes against small business
• DUCO, juveniles phase
• Ex-prisoners and homelessness
• Interventions to prevent crime against older Australians
• IVAWS
• Model policy and program management process for crime prevention
• National drink spiking project
• Policing implications of illicit drug use in Indigenous communities
• Post-release issues and services
• Sexual assault projects

Research projects

Research projects are split into two main categories: monitoring projects and criminal justice projects.

Monitoring projects

Monitoring projects are the core projects of the institute. The AIC is a leader in the field of crime and justice monitoring, administering seven highly productive monitoring projects. These programs collect data at regular intervals and produce timely and relevant reports and publications detailing the developments and issues that arise.

National homicide monitoring program

What this project is about

The NHMP was established in 1989 after a recommendation by the National Committee on Violence. In its fourteenth year of operation the NHMP continues to provide strategic policy and operational information on homicide in Australia.

As a data source it is recognised both nationally and internationally as one of the pre-eminent homicide data collection programs. It is due to the ongoing support of all state and territory police services that the NHMP is able to maintain its position as an exemplary data collection program. It further highlights the potential benefits to be gained through interagency cooperation and collaboration.

Current status of this project

The most recent NHMP annual report (for the 2002-03 financial year period) found that although the overall number of homicides in Australia remains consistently low and relatively stable, some interesting patterns emerged during the reporting period, including:

• A total of 297 homicide incidents occurred in Australia between 1 July 2002 and 30 June 2003. These incidents resulted in the deaths of 324 victims (rate of 1.6 per 100,000 population) and were perpetrated by 311 offenders.
• Males outnumbered females as both victims and offenders of homicide: 67 per cent of victims were males, and 87 per cent of offenders were males.
• Similar to previous years, the most common weapon used to commit homicide in Australia was a knife or sharp instrument (29%), followed by assaultive force (hands/feet; 21%). A firearm was used in 16 per cent of homicides (n=53) in 2002-03.
• Similar to previous years, homicide is most likely to occur between persons who are known to each other; only one in five homicides occurred between strangers (19%).

Publications

• Mouzos J 2003. Australian homicide rates: a comparison of three data sources. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no 261 Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Mouzos J 2003. Women offenders in Australia: research in progress, in MD Smith, PH Blackman & JP Jarvis (eds), New directions in homicide research: proceedings from the 2001 Annual Meeting of the Homicide Research Working Group, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington DC: 133-143
• Mouzos J & Segrave M 2004. Homicide in Australia, 2002-2003 National homicide monitoring project (NHMP) annual report Research and public policy series no 55 Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Mouzos J & Shackleford TK 2004. A comparative, cross-national analysis of partner killing by women in cohabiting and marital relationships in Australia and the United States. Aggressive behavior, 30: 206-216
• Mouzos J & Venditto J 2004. Contract killings in Australia. Research and public policy series no 53 Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology

Presentations

• Mouzos J 2003. Risk patterns in homicide victimisation and offending: can we reduce the risk? Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology conference, 1-3 October, Sydney
• Mouzos J 2004. Women's experience of lethal and non-lethal violence. Homicide Research Working Group, 3 June, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
• Mouzos J 2004. Linking data to practice in homicide/violence prevention: the Australian experience, 4 June, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
• Mouzos J 2004. Merging research and practice: an examination of contract killings in Australia. Homicide Research Working Group, 6 June, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
• Mouzos J 2004. The lethal and non-lethal nature of violence in Australia: findings from the International violence against women survey & the National homicide monitoring program. National Institute of Justice, 7 June, Washington DC, USA
• Mouzos J 2004. The nature of violence in Australia: an overview of AIC research. Department of Justice, 9,11 June, Ontario, Canada
• Mouzos J & Venditto J 2003. Merging research and practice: an examination of attempted and completed contract killings in Australia. Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology Conference, 1-3 October, Sydney
• Mouzos J & Venditto J 2003. Merging research and practice: an examination of attempted and completed contract killings. Keynote address: Senior Detectives course, New South Wales Police, 20 October, Goulburn

National firearms monitoring program

What this project is about

The NFMP was established in 1997 by the APMC to monitor the effects of the firearms controls introduced by the Australian Government in 1996. The key objectives of the NFMP are to monitor trends and patterns in selected firearm-related offences in Australia and to provide this information to the APMC for the timely identification and review of policy issues as they arise. The success of the NFMP is dependent upon the collaboration and assistance of police authorities from every Australian jurisdiction, the Law Enforcement and Coordination Division of the AGD and leading providers of information and statistics such as the ABS and the National Injury Surveillance Unit.

Numerous requests for information regarding trends in the use of firearms in crime have facilitated strategic policy-related decision-making to be informed by timely and unique research data. During the year, 41 requests for data were supplied by the program. These requests have come from such key stakeholders as the AGD, the AFP, the ACC, the ACS and various state and territory policing and government bodies.

Publications

• Mouzos J & Rushforth C 2004. Firearm-related deaths in Australia, 1991-2001. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no 269 Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology

Presentations

• Mouzos J 2004. Preventing crime through gun control: an assessment of the Australian firearms buyback. Canadian Firearms Research Centre, 11 June, Ottawa, Canada

National armed robbery monitoring program

What this project is about

The NARMP has been established to monitor armed robbery in Australia. It is the result of a resolution by the APMC for the institution of such a monitoring scheme.

How this project is being done

Work began in 2001 to scope out the dimensions of the program. Reports and consultancies with key stakeholders occurred during the last year. In the second half of the year data from all jurisdictions were supplied to the program. The NARMP collates information concerning all armed robbery offences reported to police, and requires close collaboration with police services in all Australian states and territories. Law enforcement agencies are not only the key contributors to this program, they are also key stakeholders in its products. Other stakeholders in the products of the NARMP include community and business groups interested in crime reduction, as well as private security providers. All levels of government are also expected to utilise the information produced from the NARMP, particularly those agencies responsible for developing crime prevention policy.

It is anticipated that as the information accumulates, the NARMP will provide useful and timely insights into changing trends in the commission of this violent crime. Perhaps of greater value to stakeholders, the program aims to examine the factors that might lie behind observed trends.

Current status of this project

This ongoing program has collated data for the calendar year 2003. This information will be analysed and the outcomes of this examination published in an annual report similar to those produced by other AIC monitoring programs. In addition, biannual reports containing sensitive and/or jurisdictional-based information will be published on a secure AIC website. This website will be accessible by key law enforcement stakeholders.

Publications

• Mouzos J & Borzycki M 2003. An exploratory analysis of armed robbery in Australia. Technical and background paper series no 7 Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology

Presentations

• Mouzos J 2003. The Australian Institute of Criminology's National armed robbery monitoring program. Security and Allied Industry Federation meeting, 4 December, Melbourne

Drug use monitoring in Australia

What this project is about

The DUMA project collects quarterly drug use information from police detainees in Southport watchhouse (Gold Coast, Queensland), East Perth lockup (Perth, Western Australia), Bankstown police station (Sydney, New South Wales), Parramatta police station (Sydney, New South Wales), Brisbane City watchhouse (Brisbane, Queensland), Elizabeth police station (Adelaide, South Australia) and Adelaide City watchhouse (Adelaide, South Australia). The central objectives of the DUMA project include the examination of the relationships between drugs and crime and the monitoring of drug use patterns across time.

The success of the DUMA project is dependent upon the in-kind assistance and continued support of the state police services involved (New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia) and funding from the AGD and the South Australian Attorney-General's Department.

How this project is being done

DUMA is the only drug monitoring program in Australia that validates self-report data with urine testing. This is important as a subgroup of detainees do not self-report recent use when in fact they have used. DUMA conducts quarterly cross-jurisdictional data collection; other illicit drug monitoring projects are conducted either annually or once every four years. The quarterly data collection provides an opportunity for policy-makers as well as law enforcement agencies to respond to early warning indicators in a timely fashion with strategies aimed at prevention, education, law enforcement and treatment.

DUMA is an important platform for more detailed research on specific policy topics. Each quarter a series of addendum questions are asked. These questions are developed in consultation with key agencies such as the AGD, ACS, CMC, South Australian Attorney-General's Department and BOCSAR. For example concern about the increase in the use of amphetamine-type stimulants led to the development of the amphetamine addendum which was run successfully in quarter 3, 2003.

DUMA serves as an unparalleled source of information on drug use and criminal activity. No other data source has the capacity to assist law enforcement agencies in strategically identifying emerging drug crime problems for future operations or to aid in the evaluation of targeted policing operations, while also providing the opportunity for health organisations to evaluate the need for treatment amongst a critical group like police detainees.

Current status of this project

2003 marked the second year of the second phase of data collection for the DUMA project. Significantly, further funding was provided under the National Illicit Drug Strategy for the continued operation of six sites until the end of 2008. Funding was also received from the South Australian Attorney-General's Department for the funding of one of the South Australian sites for one more year.

Dissemination of data

DUMA data are disseminated to key stakeholders in a number of ways. One of the main access points for information on DUMA is from the DUMA section on the AIC website. These secure pages on the website provide stakeholders with access to their state's data files, urine results, new drug lists, drug market charts and other relevant information. The general public have access to the non-secured pages, which contain information about the program as well as the most up to date published aggregated data from the project. The website also contains links to the DUMA reports published by the AIC.

Regular quarterly reports are also sent to each site within two to six weeks of the end of data collection. These quarterly reports consist of similar information to that which is available through the secure website. At the end of each quarter the AIC coordinates the production of the DUMA newsletter which provides an opportunity to inform those involved in the project about what is happening in other jurisdictions.

Uses of DUMA data

The data have been used for a variety of purposes, including police training. For example, a number of presentations were delivered to the New South Wales Police Service as part of their senior detectives training course. Data from the DUMA project are being disseminated to an ever-widening audience and interest in the project continues to increase particularly as the depth of trend data becomes richer over time.

DUMA has been a critical source of data in detecting rising rates of methamphetamine use while also detecting declines in heroin use across the sentinel sites.

Further testimony to the value of DUMA data is its extensive use by key stakeholders including the ACS, the AFP, the AGD, the Department of Health and Ageing and by local sites for their own research and policy planning purposes.

Technical workshop

• 2003 DUMA technical workshop, 2-3 December, Brisbane

Publications

• McGregor K & Makkai T 2003. The validity and reliability of self-reported drug use. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no 260 Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Wei Z, Makkai T & McGregor K 2003. Drug use among a sample of juvenile detainees. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no 258 Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
• DUMA newsletter. Quarter 3, 2003; quarter 4, 2003; quarter 1, 2004; quarter 2, 2004

Presentations

• Makkai T 2003-04. Drugs and crime: data from the DUMA project. Senior Detectives course, New South Wales Police, 4 February, 4 March, 24 June, Goulburn
• Makkai T 2004. DUMA program. 46th meeting of Australasian Police Minister's Council Senior Officers' Group, Ministerial Council on the Administration of Justice, 13 May, Hobart
• Makkai T & McGregor K 2003. Motivated drug offenders: data from the DUMA project. Senior Detectives course, New South Wales Police, 14 August, Goulburn
• Mazerolle P, Makkai T, McGregor K & Weierter S 2003. Consequences of exposure to family violence: assessing outcomes in adulthood among DUMA participants. Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology conference, 1-3 October, Sydney
• McGregor K 2003. Drug use among police detainees: some comparative results from Western Australia. Western Australia Police Organised Crime Investigation Group, Western Australia Police, 14 October, Perth
• McGregor K 2003. Drug use during the heroin drought: examining the 'switching' myth. Western Australia Police Organised Crime Investigation Group, Western Australia Police, 14 October, Perth
• McGregor K 2003. Drug use during the heroin drought: examining the 'switching' myth. Sallenger Centre, Edith Cowan University, 15 October, Perth
• McGregor K 2003. Drug use monitoring in Australia: an overview. Northern Territory Office of Crime Prevention, 16 October, Darwin
• McGregor K 2003. Drug use monitoring in Australia: an overview. Northern Territory Department of Health, Drug and Alcohol section, Northern Territory Office of Crime Prevention, 17 October, Darwin
• McGregor K 2003. Drug use during the heroin drought: examining the 'switching' myth. Queensland Premier & Cabinet, Law & Justice Policy Section, Queensland Premier & Cabinet, 20 October, Brisbane
• McGregor K 2003. Benzodiazepine use amongst the DUMA sample - prevalence and legality presented at the DUMA technical workshop, 2-3 December, Brisbane
• McGregor K & Makkai T 2003. Drug use during the heroin shortage: examining the 'switching' myth. Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology conference, 1-3 October, Sydney
• Milner L 2003. Amphetamine use: results from the amphetamine addendum. DUMA technical workshop, AIC, 2-3 December, Brisbane
• Milner L 2004. Offenders and drug treatment: estimating the potential size of the demand for treatment among offenders. 15th International conference on the reduction of drug-related harm, Australian Drug Foundation, The Centre for Harm Reduction, 21 April, Melbourne
• Milner L 2004. Drug use among police detainees: some comparative results from Queensland. Queensland Police Watchhouse conference, Queensland Police, 17 June, Brisbane

National deaths in custody program

What this project is about

The RCIADIC recommended in its final report (1991) that an ongoing program be established to monitor Indigenous and non-Indigenous deaths in prison, police custody and juvenile detention. In response, the NDICP was established at the AIC in 1992 and continues to provide comprehensive, timely and authoritative data on all deaths which occur in custody and custody-related police operations. Although the NDICP began recording information in 1992, data on all custodial deaths between 1980 and 1992 were collected retrospectively, placing the NDICP in the unique position of holding detailed information on custodial deaths in Australia spanning 24 years.

The NDICP examines the circumstances of deaths in prison, police custody and juvenile detention around Australia on an ongoing basis. The purpose of monitoring deaths in custody is to provide accurate, up to date information that will contribute to public policy discussion in this important area, and to increase public understanding of the issues. It also allows for the monitoring of long-term trends and patterns in police custody and custody-related operations.

How this project is being done

The information held in the NDICP database comes from three main data sources.

• all state and territory police services and correctional departments in Australia;
• coronial records, such as transcripts of proceedings and findings, as well as toxicology and post-mortem reports; and
• national press monitoring tailored to the NDICP requirements and provided on a daily basis by the AIC Information services section.

Information is recorded on approximately 60 variables relating to the circumstances and characteristics of each death.

Publications

• Collins L & Ali M 2003. Deaths in custody in Australia: 2002 National deaths in custody program (NDICP) annual report. Research and public policy series no 50 Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology

Presentations

• McCall M 2004. Deaths in custody: analysis of deaths in police watchhouses 1980-2003. Queensland Police Watchhouse conference, Queensland Police, 17 June, Brisbane
• Putt J & McCall M 2003. Deaths in custody: figures and trends. Justice summit of national Indigenous community controlled organisations 2003, National Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committee, 19-21 November, Canberra

National police custody survey

What this project is about

Because of the high proportion of Indigenous deaths in custody that occurred in police custody at the time of the RCIADIC, one key recommendation of the commission was to monitor the numbers of people placed in police custody and the over-representation of Indigenous people in police custody. Monitoring trends would assist in determining the degree to which key recommendations from the RCIADIC were being implemented. The first national survey of police custody was conducted in 1988. A second survey was conducted in 1992 by the AIC and a third survey was conducted in 1995. A fourth survey was conducted in 2002, with the results to be published in late 2004. The 2002 survey covers every occasion upon which a person was taken into police custody and physically lodged in a police cell, for any period of time, at any location in Australia, during October 2002.

How this project is being done

Data were collected in two ways: in some jurisdictions police at each police station or watchhouse manually completed a separate data collection form for each person who was physically lodged in a police cell. In other jurisdictions electronic datasets were provided retrospectively to the AIC and a researcher manually searched for and extracted the required data.

National juveniles in detention monitoring program

What this project is about

The program provides information on the number of juveniles in detention in every jurisdiction in Australia. The National juveniles in detention monitoring program is the only source of national data relating to juvenile justice in Australia.

How this project is being done

A census count of persons in juvenile detention centres is taken four times a year (31 March, 30 June, 30 September, 31 December). For comparability across states and territories, juveniles in this dataset are defined as persons aged between 10 and 17 years. The program enables data to be compared across jurisdiction, year (since 1981), Indigenous status, sex, age and remand status.

Presentations

• Charlton K 2003. Indigenous over-representation in juvenile detention: patterns in the national data. Juvenile justice: from the lessons of the past to a road map for the future, AIC and New South Wales Department of Juvenile Justice, 1-2 December, Sydney
• Taylor N 2003. Who goes into juvenile detention and why? Juvenile justice: from the lessons of the past to a road map for the future, AIC and New South Wales Department of Juvenile Justice, 1-2 December, Sydney

Criminal justice projects

The AIC conducts a range of research projects other than the monitoring projects, which fall under the banner of criminal justice projects. For the purposes of this annual report, criminal justice projects are grouped into the following six categories:

• offenders and offences;
• victims;
• transnational and organised crime;
• economic and high tech crime;
• crimes against small business; and
• capacity building.

The following section details key projects during 2003-04.

Offenders and offences

A major focus of the institute's research is on offenders. To improve understanding of the criminal justice system it is vital to know something about the characteristics of offenders and why people commit crimes. Over the twelve month period, research on offenders has focused on five key projects.

The DUCO project examines the links between drug use and criminal careers of sentenced offenders and has been at the forefront of Australian research in terms of adding data and information to the knowledge base within this area. This project looked separately at male, female and juvenile offenders.

The male survey was completed during the year, and Box 2 reports on some of these findings. The female DUCO survey is completed and analysis is underway. The juvenile survey is continuing. All surveys are funded by the AGD.

The Australian Government and the community are increasingly recognising the crime reduction benefits of minimising the likelihood that ex-prisoners will reoffend. With funding provided by the AGD, the institute undertook a review of post-release interventions for prisoners returning to the community. This provides up to date knowledge concerning post-release issues and services for prisoners returning to mainstream Australian society.

Assisted housing for ex-prisoners was also studied this financial year to gain a greater understanding of the housing and homelessness issues facing people leaving prison and seeking accommodation. Funding for this was provided by the Australian Government Department of Family and Community Services.

Almost all states and territories have introduced drug courts in an attempt to deal with drug-related crime. The institute has been engaged by the Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney-General to evaluate Queensland drug courts. The evaluations sought to determine whether drug courts have resulted in a reduction in drug use, a reduction in the level of criminal activity associated with drug dependency and a reduction in the community health risks associated with drug dependency.

Over the last few years many Australian states and territories have been victim of bushfires. It is reported that most bushfires are deliberately lit and to investigate this, the institute in partnership with the Australian Capital Territory Department of Justice and Community Safety, with funding from the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre, has begun a three-year project on bushfire arson. The project aims to develop a greater understanding of the deliberate and malicious ignition of fires in Australian bushland settings and provide an understanding of the motives, methods and circumstances of the people setting these fires.

Publications

DUCO

• Makkai T & Payne J 2003. Key findings from the Drug use careers of offenders (DUCO) study. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no 267 Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Willis K & Rushforth C 2003. The female criminal: an overview of women's drug use and offending behaviour. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no 264 Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Makkai T & Payne J 2004. Drugs and crime: a study of incarcerated male offenders. Research and public policy series no 52 Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology

Ex-prisoners, SAAP, housing and homelessness in Australia

• Willis M 2004. Ex-prisoners, SAAP, housing and homelessness in Australia: final report. Consultancy report to the Australian Government Department of Family and Community Services

Queensland drug court evaluation

• Makkai T & Veraar K 2003. Final report on the South East Queensland Drug Court. Technical and background paper series no 6 Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology

Review of post-release interventions for prisoners returning to the community

• Borzycki M 2003. Promoting integration: the provision of prisoner post-release services. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no 262 Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology

Presentations

Ex-prisoners, SAAP, housing and homelessness in Australia

• Willis M 2004. Ex-prisoners, homelessness and SAAP: overview of report and findings. Research workshop of the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) National Coordination and Development Committee (CAD), Department of Family and Community Services, 10 June, Brisbane

Review of post-release interventions for prisoners returning to the community

• Borzycki M 2003. Easing the transition: models of post-release service delivery. Inside out post-release issues conference, 4-5 September, Kempsey

Victims

To obtain a better picture of the causes and impact of crime, it is important to appreciate the relationship between crime and its victims, and the issues surrounding victimisation rates and patterns.

The AIC is conducting a project on sexual assault funded by the OSW which aims to inform the evidence base and ensure a sound policy platform for the Australian Government's National Initiative to Combat Sexual Assault. The AIC also worked with OSW on a second project, the IVAWS survey, which collected information on women aged between 18 and 69 about their experiences with violence perpetrated by males. A report outlining the results of this research has been completed. A third study on sexual assault is being conducted for the ACT Department of Justice examining the feasibility of linkages across criminal justice agencies.

In July 2003 the AIC was commissioned by the AGD, on behalf of the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy, to conduct a project investigating the nature and extent of drink spiking in Australia. Drink spiking was identified as an emerging issue for examination under the alcohol priority area identified by the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy. A key component of this research was a telephone hotline for drink spiking victims to talk about their experience - the purpose of the hotline was to obtain information about the variety of circumstances in which drink spiking occurs.

The AIC has also conducted work on the victimisation of older Australians, which included an examination of existing knowledge about crime prevention as it relates to older people; an analysis of the victimisation, crime experiences and fear of crime of older people; and a policy framework.

Victimisation studies have also been done on farm crime. This involved surveys of Australian farmers to gauge the levels of crime experienced in these distinct environments, and sought to develop crime prevention strategies to curb the rates of victimisation. This work is being funded by National Crime Prevention Branch, AGD.

Publications

Interventions to prevent crime against older Australians

• James M, Graycar A & Mayhew P 2003. A safe and secure environment for older Australians. Research and public policy series no 51 Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology

National farm crime surveys

• McCall M 2003. Results from the 2001-02 national farm crime survey. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice series no 266 Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
• McCall M & Homel P 2003. Preventing crime on Australian farms: issues, current initiatives and future directions. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no 268 Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology

Sexual assault project

• Lievore D 2003. Non-reporting and hidden recording of sexual assault: an international literature review. Canberra: Office of the Status of Women
• Lievore D 2004. Recidivism of sexual assault offenders: rates, risk factors and treatment efficacy. Canberra: Office of the Status of Women

Presentations

International violence against women survey

• Mouzos J & Makkai T 2003. The International violence against women survey - an overview of methodology, European Society of Criminology conference, 27-30 August, Helsinki, Finland
• Mouzos J 2004. The lethal and non-lethal nature of violence in Australia: findings from the International violence against women survey & National homicide monitoring program. National Institute of Justice, 7 June, Washington DC, USA

National farm crime survey

• Anderson K & McCall M 2004. Findings from the national farm crime survey. Briefing to Attorney-General's National Crime Prevention Branch, 2 February, Canberra

National project on drink spiking

• Taylor N 2004. Improving the empirical base on drink spiking: findings from a telephone survey with victims. Club Health 2004 conference, NDARC Centre for Population Health, 18-20 April, Melbourne

Sexual assault project

• Lievore D 2003. Castles In the air? Sexual assault law reform and secondary victimisation. Innovation: promising practices for victims and witnesses in the criminal justice system, National victims of crime conference, 23-24 October, Canberra
• Lievore D 2004. Prosecutorial decisions in adult sexual assault cases: an Australian study. Sexual assault roundtable 84, AIC and Office of the Status of Women, 29 April, Canberra
• Lievore D 2004. Prosecutorial decisions in adult sexual assault cases: an Australian study. Sexual assault workshop, AIC, Office of the Status of Women and New South Wales Police, 13 May, Sydney

Transnational and organised crime

While transnational and organised crime have long been issues for Australia, the rise of globalisation and an increased dependence on technology have created new opportunities for criminals, and as all forms of technology rapidly increase in complexity and pervasiveness, criminals find new ways to exploit it. In November 2003, the AIC began work that focused specifically on transnational and organised crime issues. The first task was to revise and update the report, The worldwide fight against transnational organised crime: Australia, prepared for the UN Crime Program in Vienna by program staff in 2002. This work documents the current Australian law enforcement infrastructure directed at combating transnational organised crime.

The UN report provided a comprehensive overview of a range of issues pertinent to an understanding of organised crime including details of state and federal law enforcement structures, specialised agencies against organised crime, institutional cooperation, the criminal judicial system and special methodologies of investigation. In January 2004 the report was updated to include changes in legislation (especially proceeds of crime reforms) and law enforcement structures and direction (notably the creation of the ACC).

Money laundering is a major activity of organised crime syndicates. The project on money laundering aims to assess the extent of money laundering in Australia from 1995 onwards and to evaluate the responses to and impact of money laundering legislation/regulation upon previously unregulated business sectors. Work was also undertaken to evaluate money laundering issues raised during roundtable discussions with Treasury, the Taxation Office, AUSTRAC and the AGD.

Preparations have also begun for the 11th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice to be held in Bangkok in February 2005. The AIC was represented at the Asian and Pacific regional preparatory meeting in March 2004 held in Bangkok, and at the seminar on implementation of the UN convention against transnational organised crime and the protocols thereto and on promotion and ratification of the UN convention against corruption both also held in Bangkok. In addition, the AIC was represented at a preparatory meeting in Tokyo for a workshop on economic crime including money laundering to be held at the 11th congress. AIC staff have also consulted widely on issues of transnational and organised crime and been involved in the work of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific and the European Consortium for Political Research.

Publications

• Australian Institute of Criminology 2004. The worldwide fight against transnational organised crime: Australia, a report prepared for the United Nations Crime Program, Vienna
• McCusker R 2004. The legal environment, in Brooks I Weatherston J & Wilkinson G (eds), The International business environment Financial Times/Prentice Hall 324-361
• Smith RG & Anderson K 2004. Understanding non-compliance in the marine environment. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no 275 Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology

Presentations

• Smith RG 2003. The situation of economic crime and money laundering in Australia. United Nations Asia and Far East Institute preparatory meeting, 11th UN Congress workshop on economic crime including money laundering, 13-14 October, Tokyo

Economic and high tech crime

The AIC also conducts research dedicated to staying abreast of the latest developments in electronic crime. In 2003 the AIC began collaborative work with the newly established AHTCC. Such a collaboration provides the AIC with a unique opportunity to contribute to the knowledge base being developed by the AHTCC in its investigation of high tech crime throughout Australia.

The program for research and reporting is developed in close cooperation with staff of the AHTCC. The outcomes of this research are published in a series of jointly badged AIC/AHTCC publications as well as various public and in-house presentations. The AHTCC generously provided funding which enabled the high tech crime analyst to present papers at a number of conferences and meetings throughout Europe in May 2004.

In 2003, AIC researchers were contracted as consultants to the Drugs and Crime Prevention Committee of the Parliament of Victoria to prepare a draft final report for its Inquiry into fraud and electronic commerce, which examined professional fraud as a major risk area in Victoria. The purpose of the report was to review current knowledge about fraud and electronic commerce-related crime, and to identify the most effective and appropriate options for reform that could be implemented in Victoria. The final report was tabled in the Victorian Parliament in January 2004. The report was launched at the Australian fraud summit in Sydney.

Researchers also conducted research into a range of other areas of crime and technology. This work continues to be directed towards assessing the nature and extent of technology-related crimes including their economic cost, and how the criminal justice system responds to crimes of this nature. Considerable work was undertaken this year in examining judicial and sentencing outcomes in relation to cybercrimes. Work is principally undertaken through the analysis of published secondary source materials as well as legal and legislative materials including court decisions, particularly trial sentencing remarks and appellate decisions.

To examine the nature and extent of crime in the professions, research was conducted on professional regulation. Work has principally been conducted in conjunction with other projects, particularly the Victorian Parliamentary Drugs and Crime Prevention Committee's Inquiry into fraud and electronic commerce. The aim of the project was to identify and to evaluate the most effective regulatory responses adopted through Australia and overseas.

The AIC has also continued work on its Serious fraud in Australia and New Zealand project (see Box 3).

A second research project, Fraud and white collar crime, involved a wide range of activities to do with the identification and assessment of the nature and extent of crimes involving fraud and other white collar crimes in Australia and overseas. Of continuing interest was the topic of identity-related fraud and how this affects both public and private sector organisations.

Publications

Inquiry into fraud and electronic commerce

• Victoria Parliament, Drugs and Crime Prevention Committee January 2004, Inquiry into fraud and electronic commerce: final report. Government Printer for the State of Victoria, Melbourne

Professional regulation

• Smith RG 2003. Crime in the professions Security oz, July/August, no 24: 42-4

Serious fraud in Australia and New Zealand

• Sakurai Y & Smith RG 2004. Identifying and responding to risks of serious fraud in Australia and New Zealand. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no 270 Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology

Technology and crime

• Black M & Smith RG 2003. Electronic monitoring in the criminal justice system. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no 254 Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Smith RG 2003. Travelling in cyberspace on a false passport: controlling transnational identity-related crime, The British Criminology Conference: selected proceedings, vol 5, Papers from the British Society of Criminology Conference, Keele, Tarling R (ed.), British Society of Criminology, http://www.britsoccrim.org/bccsp/vol05/smith.htm
• Smith RG 2003. Impediments to the successful investigation of transnational cybercrimes, International councillor, 2(18), May/June: 17-19
• Smith RG & Grabosky PN 2003. Digital crime in the twenty-first century, in Wall, DS (ed.), Cyberspace crime, Ashgate International Library of Criminology, Criminal Justice and Penology, Ashgate, Aldershot: 39-57
• Smith RG & Urbas GF 2004. Computer crime legislation in Australia, Internet law bulletin, 7(2): 1-4

Presentations

Australian High Tech Crime Centre

• Krone T 2003. The limits of prosecution authority. RegNet occasional seminar series, RegNet, Australian National University, 18 November, Canberra
• Krone T 2003. Who controls the prosecutor? Commonwealth Ombudsman's occasional seminar series, Commonwealth Ombudsman, 2 December, Canberra
• Krone T 2004. Child pornography and digital technology: meeting the law enforcement challenges in Australia. Societies of Criminology key issues conference, 14 May, Paris
• Krone T 2004. Pirates of the South Pacific: recent developments in copyright law enforcement in Australia. London School of Economics, 17 May, London
• Krone T 2004. Global agenda from an Australian perspective. 5th International conference for combating online paedophile information networks in Europe, 24-26 May, Cork, Ireland
• Krone T 2004. Evidential issues in high tech crime investigations. Forensic computing and computer investigations workshop, Australian High Tech Crime Centre, 5 April, Canberra
• Krone T 2004. A typology of child pornography offending. Australian High Tech Crime Centre internal seminar series, Australian High Tech Crime Centre, 10 June, Canberra
• Smith RG 2004. Impediments to the successful investigation of transnational high tech crime. Forensic Computing and Computer Investigations Workshop, Australian High Tech Crime Centre, 5 April, Canberra

Fraud and white collar crime

• Smith RG 2003. Identity-related fraud in telecommunications. Telstra corporate fraud unit workshop, Werribee Park, 11 July, Melbourne
• Smith RG 2003. Addressing identity-related fraud. 8th Cards Australasia conference, 3 September, Melbourne
• Smith RG 2003. Credit card fraud: industry wide perspective - panel presentation. 8th Cards Australasia conference, 3 September, Melbourne
• Smith RG 2003. Identity-related fraud. Financial crimes investigation management course, Australian Securities and Investments Commission, 16 September, Canberra
• Smith RG 2003. Addressing identity-related fraud in the financial services sector. IIR conferences retail financial services forum, 9 October, Sydney
• Smith RG 2003. Identity-related fraud. Financial investigations program, Australian Federal Police, 28 November, Sydney
• Smith RG 2004. Understanding tertiary crime prevention in controlling fraud: the effectiveness of criminal justice system responses. IIR conferences fraud summit 2004, 30 March, Sydney

Serious fraud in Australia and New Zealand

• Sakurai Y 2003. Gambling as a motivation for the commission of financial crime. 13th Annual National Association for Gambling Studies conference, 27 November 2003, Canberra
• Sakurai Y 2004. Identifying and responding to risks of serious fraud in Australia and New Zealand. Occasional seminar series, School of International Business, Queensland University of Technology, 18 March, Brisbane
• Sakurai Y & Smith R G 2003. Gambling as a motivation for the commission of financial crime. Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology conference, 1-3 October, Sydney

Technology and crime

• McCusker R 2003. E-commerce and trade: myopic conduits of crime? Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology conference, 1-3 October, Sydney
• Smith RG 2003. Investigating cybercrime: barriers and solutions. Association of Certified Fraud Examiners: Pacific Rim conference, 11 September, Sydney
• Smith RG 2003. Cyber criminals on trial: punishment and sentencing of cyber criminals. Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology conference, 1-3 October, Sydney
• Smith RG 2004. Punishing the computer or the computer criminal? Dilemmas in the use of criminal forfeiture and restriction of use orders in cyber crime sentencing. Societies of Criminology key issues conference, 14 May, Paris

Crimes against small business

To assist small businesses deal with crime, the Australian Government, through its National Crime Prevention program, commissioned the AIC to conduct specialist crime prevention research, analysis and evaluation. From the project's inception in 1999 to 2004 a substantial amount of material has been produced (see Box 4).

During this year a project was conducted on online credit card fraud against small business and a survey conducted in collaboration with the Fairfield City Council of 337 small retail businesses in the Fairfield and Cabramatta districts in Sydney.

The Fairfield/Cabramatta project aimed to quantify the amount of crime experienced by these businesses, how crime and drug use impacts on potential business closure, fear of crime and reporting to police.

The online credit card fraud project was undertaken to assess the nature and extent of online credit card fraud against small businesses. The AGD has used the information gained from the study to develop e-crime fact sheets aimed at educating small business retailers. These fact sheets were formally released by the Hon. Trish Worth on 22 July 2004.

A specific project evaluating a police shopfront was also undertaken to see what impact a shopfront had on crime against retailers in shopping centres in Queensland. The findings will be helpful to the Queensland Police Service in further understanding the degree to which police beats are useful for retailers, and how to improve the relationship between police beat officers and retailers.

The AIC, in consultation with the Master Builders Association of the Australian Capital Territory, undertook a project investigating residential construction site crime in Australia. The overall goal of the project was to provide a full understanding of the nature, scale and impact of common forms of crime (namely, theft and vandalism) experienced by residential builders and contractors. In addition, it aimed at providing a strategic framework for identifying areas for improvement to reduce opportunities for these incidents to take place.

Capacity building

Throughout the year, the AIC conducted several projects aimed at capacity building in crime prevention and reduction with key stakeholders. Among these was the development of a model policy and program management process for crime prevention strategies for New South Wales. This project was commissioned by the New South Wales Attorney-General's Department in March 2003 as a collaborative exercise. The overall goal was to develop a model strategic framework for linking evidence to practice in crime prevention program implementation. A discussion paper was written outlining a range of models and approaches to the analysis of crime prevention program work as the basis of a possible framework to be implemented through stage two. This framework is to provide a method for identifying, capturing and tagging key crime prevention knowledge and best practice, and training models for facilitating the active transfer and uptake of innovative practice.

A similar project was also conducted for Western Australia, where the AIC was commissioned by the OCP to assist in designing a two-year community safety and crime prevention research agenda. The task was to advise on objectives and funding priorities and to develop options for a strategic framework and project management process.

The AIC was contracted by the South Australia Attorney-General's Department to provide expert strategic advice and guidance on best practice for public safety and crime in relation to the Westwood (Parks) project, a 15-year urban renewal initiative in northern Adelaide. This work was undertaken through direct involvement in and agenda presentations to a series of community planning workshops as well as by direct consultancy advice to the key players in the Westwood project.

Two projects have been funded by NDLERF, one on performance measurement in drug law enforcement, and the second on policing implications of illicit drug use in Indigenous communities. The aim of the performance measurement project is to strengthen current Australian approaches to the practice of performance measurement in drug law enforcement at the national and state and territory levels by systematically reviewing existing systems and processes, where they exist, and then developing and testing a proposed set of enhancements. The aim of the Indigenous project is to improve the law enforcement sector's understanding of illicit drug use by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and to develop best policing practices that will help prevent and minimise harms from illicit drug use in rural and remote Indigenous communities.

The AIC has continued to provide capacity-building programs on a fee-for-service basis in the area of identity-related fraud. In June 2004, six half-day workshops were conducted for ninety counter staff of the New South Wales Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages, and further workshops are planned for both managers and counter staff of a range of other organisations during the next financial year. Each workshop participant receives an extensive package of course materials, with workshops facilitated by qualified training consultants.

As part of its capacity-building work, presentations on evaluation and design were conducted with the Tasmanian and South Australian governments.

Two regional crime prevention forums were held in 2003: in Toowoomba in July, and in Alice Springs in October. In conjunction with the Crime Prevention Branch of the AGD, the AIC organised the forums to discuss key issues of regional crime prevention.

Finally, the AIC has continued to disseminate crime reduction information through AICrime reduction matters fact sheets, a monthly publication which is primarily distributed through the AIC email alerting service. A list of AICrime reduction matters is available in Appendix 1.

Presentations

General capacity-building seminars

• Homel P 2003. Here's hoping the crime prevention program manages to implement itself. The whole of government approach to crime prevention. Keynote address, Symposium on what works in crime prevention, Crime Prevention Victoria, 30 September, Melbourne
• Homel P 2003. I just know it's the right approach! Improving the effectiveness of community-based crime prevention. Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology conference, 1-3 October, Sydney
• Makkai T 2004. Evaluating programs: theory and practice. Tasmanian Department of Justice, 14 May, Hobart
• Makkai T 2004. Evaluating programs: theory and practice. Social Inclusion Unit, South Australian Department of Premier & Cabinet, 20 May, Adelaide

Regional crime prevention forums

• Graycar A 2003. Presentation on crime prevention. Regional crime prevention forum, 24 July, Alice Springs
• Homel P 2003. Farm crime. Regional crime prevention forum, 25 October, Toowoomba

Western Australia crime prevention research and development agenda project

• Homel P 2003. A research and development agenda for crime prevention in Western Australia - some issues and challenges. Western Australia Office of Crime Prevention Research and Development Group Workshop, 9 December, Perth

Westwood (Parks) urban renewal project: South Australia

• Homel P 2003. Organising for effective crime prevention delivery. South Australian justice agencies symposium, 25 August, Adelaide
• Homel P 2003. A brief overview of what the evidence says about crime reduction and community renewal. South Australian Urban Renewal Project planning workshop, 26 August, Westwood, Adelaide
• Homel P 2003. Improving the government's response to working with local communities: successful interventions. Community resilience and crime prevention, 25 November, Adelaide

Summary table of research projects and outputs

Project	Outputs in 03-04	Notes/status
2002 National police custody survey	None	Research and analysis completed Research and public policy title forthcoming
ACT Police suburban crime prevention team	2 presentations to AFP 1 report to AFP 1 best practice guide to AFP	Technical and background paper forthcoming Research and public policy title forthcoming
ACT recidivist offenders	1 roundtable	Research and public policy title forthcoming
Analysis of 2000 International crime victimisation survey (ICVS)	None	Completed bivariate descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis of the Australian component of the ICVS, a telephone survey of approximately 3,000 Australian residents, and the 2001 Australian Election Study, a mail out/mail back survey of approximately 2,000 residents Trends & issues title forthcoming
Analysis of 2002 crime and safety survey (CSS)	None	Completed bivariate descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis Trends & issues title forthcoming
Assistance to the Australian Agency for International Development regarding the development of a community crime and justice survey in Papua New Guinea	None	Ongoing development of an appropriate survey instrument and methodology for a community survey on crime and safety in Papua New Guinea
Australian High Tech Crime Centre	3 AHTCC seminar papers 3 conference papers 2 seminar presentations	Ongoing development of high tech crime monitoring system 2 Trends & issues titles forthcoming High tech crime briefs publication series to be initiated; a short monthly publication on high tech crime topics
Bushfire arson	None	Research and public policy title forthcoming Bushfire arson bulletins publication series to be initiated; a short monthly publication on arson prevention
Crime against residential building sites	None	Research and analysis completed Research and public policy title forthcoming
Development of a model policy and program management process for crime prevention strategies for NSW	1 report to the New South Wales Attorney-General's Department	New South Wales Attorney-General's Department considering implications of the report before initiating stage 2 of the project in the 2004-05 financial year
Drug use careers of offenders (DUCO)	1 Trends & issues title 1 Research and public policy	DUCO females survey completed and analysis underway DUCO juveniles data being collected 2 Trends & issues titles forthcoming 1 Research and public policy title forthcoming
Drug use monitoring in Australia (DUMA)	1 technical workshop 4 quarterly reports 2 Trends & issues titles 17 presentations	Ongoing data collection and analysis
Evaluation of police beat shopfronts in Queensland	None	Trends & issues title forthcoming
Ex-prisoners, homelessness and the Supported accommodation assistance program (SAAP)	1 consultancy report 1 presentation	Trends & issues title forthcoming
Farm crime surveys	2 Trends & issues titles 2 presentations	Report to AGD forthcoming
Fraud and electronic crime: emerging trends and best practice responses	1 report to government 2 presentations	Project completed
Fraud and white collar crime	2 presentations 1 workshop presentation 4 presentations	Ongoing
ID fraud capacity building	6 workshops conducted Course materials	Ongoing
Implementation and analysis of 2004 International crime victimisation surveys (ICVS)	None	Data collection and analysis underway
Inquiry into violence associated with motor vehicle use for the Parliament of Victoria, Drugs and Crime Prevention Committee	1 report to Victorian Parliament 4 presentations	In progress Final report to be tabled in Victorian Parliament by December
International violence against women survey (IVAWS) 2002	2 presentations	In progress Research and public policy title forthcoming
Interventions to prevent crime against older Australians	1 Research and public policy title	Project completed
Juveniles in detention in Australia	2 presentations at conferences	Ongoing quarterly data collection and analysis Technical and background paper forthcoming
Modelling illicit drug markets (NHMRC)	1 manuscript	Project completed
Monitoring injuries in police custody	1 consultancy report	Technical and background paper forthcoming Research and public policy title forthcoming
National armed robbery monitoring program (NARMP)	1 Technical and background paper 1 presentation to security industry meeting	Ongoing data collection and analysis Preparation of program annual report undertaken
National deaths in custody program (NDICP)	1 Research and public policy title 2 presentations	Ongoing data collection and analysis NDICP annual report forthcoming
National firearms monitoring program (NFMP)	1 Trends & issues title 1 presentation	Ongoing data collection and analysis
National homicide monitoring program (NHMP)	2 Research and public policy titles 1 Trends & issues title 8 presentations 2 non-AIC publications	Ongoing data collection and analysis Research and public policy title forthcoming NHMP annual report forthcoming
National project on drink spiking	1 presentation at conference	Report prepared for AGD
NDLERF performance measurement in drug law enforcement	1 presentation	Literature review completed Discussion paper on current status of drug law enforcement performance measures forthcoming
North Queensland drug court evaluation	Interim report	Ongoing
Online credit card fraud against small businesses	1 conference presentation	Research and public policy title forthcoming
Pilot study on sexual assault and related offences in the ACT	2 reports to Australian Capital Territory Department of Justice and Community Safety	Research on data linkage between agencies in progress Reports to government forthcoming
Professional regulation	1 journal article	Project completed
Queensland drug court evaluation	1 Technical and background paper	Ongoing
Regional crime prevention forums	2 forums conducted	Project completed
Research into property crime for the ACT burglary reduction strategy	1 report to Australian Capital Territory Department of Justice and Community Safety	Project completed
Research into the policing implications of illicit drug use in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities	None	To date fieldwork has been undertaken in Western Australia and Queensland The literature and program review is underway, and the survey instrument will be piloted soon
Review of post-release interventions for prisoners returning to the community	1 Trends & issues title 1 presentation	Literature review for AGD in publication Report for AGD in publication
Review of the interim funds distribution formula for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (ATSILS)	1 report to ATSIS	Project completed
Reviewing the profile of young offenders in the ACT	1 report to ACT Chief Minister's Department	Project completed
Secretariat for the Criminology Research Council	3 reports 7 proposals 1 conference paper 3 roundtables	Ongoing administrative duties
Serious fraud in Australia and New Zealand	1 Trends & issues title 2 conference papers 1 presentation	Ongoing
Sexual assault (OSW) data analyst	2 reports 1 conference presentation 1 roundtable conducted 1 workshop presentation	Ongoing
Survey of small retail businesses in Fairfield and Cabramatta	None	2 Trends & issues titles forthcoming
Technology and crime	1 Trends & issues title 1 book chapter 3 journal articles 4 conference papers	Ongoing
The regulation of money laundering	1 workshop presentation	1 Trends & issues title forthcoming
United Nations transnational organised crime	1 report	1 Technical and background paper forthcoming
WA crime prevention research and development agenda	1 presentation to Western 1 policy and operational framework	A two-year agreement for collaborative work between the AIC and the Western Australia OCP has been established
Weapon involvement in violent crime	None	1 Research and public policy title forthcoming
Westwood (Parks) urban renewal; South Australia	2 presentations to South Australia government agencies 1 keynote address to seminar	Project completed

Research dissemination and support program

Objectives

The Research dissemination and support program's primary objectives are to:

• publish, disseminate and promote the institute's research, products and capabilities;
• conduct cost-effective conferences, roundtables and seminars;
• coordinate contract research; and
• provide administrative support to Research services, the CRC and the Australian crime and violence prevention awards.

Specific activities of this program include:

• publishing;
• dissemination and promotion of AIC work;
• media liaison;
• public affairs; and
• administration of the Australian crime and violence prevention awards.

Publishing

The institute provides policy advice through a variety of approaches, including presentations, conferences and, most significantly, publications. The AIC has a number of different publication series, each specialising in a different format, from the fortnightly, one-page Crime facts info sheets up to longer, in-depth Research and public policy series. The goal of the Research dissemination and support program is to provide a reliable structure through which the research findings produced by AIC analysts can be dispersed to key stakeholders and inform government in the most efficient and effective fashion.

During the 2003-04 financial year, the AIC has continued to produce quality relevant publications in a timely fashion. Over 75 individual publications were published spanning six separate series. The AIC published:

• 21 titles in the Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice series
• 5 titles in the Research and public policy series
• 25 issues of Crime facts info
• 21 issues of AICrime reduction matters
• 1 issue of the AIC newsletter
• 2 Technical and background papers
• Australian crime: facts and figures 2003
• The 2002-03 annual report of the Australian Institute of Criminology and the Criminology Research Council

The AIC also produces numerous reports to clients on a consulting basis.

A research institute's most visible output is its publications. During this financial year the AIC redesigned its suite of publications, giving them a uniform corporate look and feel. The sizes of the different series remain the same, with the Trends & issues series retaining its distinctive 630mm x 297mm gatefolded to three A4; and the Research and public policy series maintaining its B5 monograph look. The layouts have been slightly amended, and minimal punctuation is now used. This new look incorporates the new Australian Government branding.

The closure of the Australian Government bookshop network in October 2003 resulted in the AIC seeking a new agent for the sale of its publications. In addition to being available for sale direct from the AIC, AIC publications are now available via mail-order from CanPrint Information Services.

Publication and review process

All publications are subject to a rigorous refereeing process before they are accepted for publication. Drafts are reviewed by internal personnel including the director and senior analysts, along with external reviewers. Since drafts are subject to these multiple reviews and revision stages, the average time it takes for a draft to progress from first receipt to release is 20 weeks. This reviewing process is coordinated by the Research dissemination and support program.

The Research dissemination and support program also coordinates and completes the editing, layout and overall arrangement of publications by means of inhouse editors.

Dissemination and promotion of AIC work

The AIC has continued to hold high quality and relevant conferences, occasional seminars and roundtables. These are presented to, and attended by, various participating groups including academics, law enforcement, policy-makers and other interested parties.

Conferences

The AIC held three national conferences this financial year. Papers from these conferences can be found on the AIC's website at http://www.aic.gov.au/conferences/

Inhalant use and disorder, 7-8 July 2003, Townsville

This was the first conference of its kind to be held in Australia. Conference participants included government policy advisers, academics, practitioners and community workers.

Major Brian Watters AO, chair of the Australian National Council on Drugs, gave the keynote address. Other plenary speakers included Dr Toni Makkai, research director at the AIC; Dr Peter D'Abbs, Associate Professor at the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at James Cook University; Rachel Atkins from the Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Health Service; and Stan Moore from the Australian Retailers' Association.

After two days of discussion about issues surrounding inhalant misuse, including risk and protective factors, Indigenous communities, health and welfare concerns, early intervention, policing, partnerships and the role of government, the conference closed with a panel session to discuss and debate future challenges for inhalant use and disorder.

Graffiti and disorder (with the Australian Local Government Association), 18-19 August 2003, Brisbane

Keynote addresses at this conference were given by Dr Adam Graycar, director of the AIC, and Councillor Mike Montgomery, President of the Australian Local Government Association. Plenary speakers included Linda Lavarch MP, Chair of the Graffiti Taskforce in Queensland; Dr Philip Fleming, executive director of the Aerosol Association of Australia; and Superintendent David Darcy of the New South Wales Police Service.

Papers covering a wide range of topics, which included law enforcement issues, youth culture perspectives, community perspectives and local government responses, were presented in the concurrent sessions.

Participants at the conference included police, community workers, academics, policy-makers and representatives from all levels of government.

Juvenile justice: from the lessons of the past to a road map for the future (with the New South Wales Department of Juvenile Justice), 1-2 December 2003, Sydney

Dr Toni Makkai, acting director of the AIC, opened the conference. The opening address was delivered by The Hon. Diane Beamer, Minister for Juvenile Justice in New South Wales. Professor James McGuire from the Department of Clinical Psychology at Liverpool University gave the keynote address. Other speakers from overseas included Judge Andrew Becroft, Principal Youth Court Justice in Wellington, New Zealand; Dr Gabrielle Maxwell from Victoria University Wellington; and Kim Pate, Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies in Ontario Canada.

A panel session set the scene early in the conference by discussing juvenile justice issues from the perspective of the past, present and future. Members of this panel included Dr Don Weatherburn from BOCSAR, Associate Professor Christine Alder from the University of Melbourne and Professor Rob White from the University of Tasmania.

After the final panel session in which major conference topics were discussed and analysed, David Sherlock, the Director-General of the New South Wales Department of Juvenile Justice, closed the conference.

Roundtable discussions

Roundtable discussions are symposiums designed to facilitate exploration by experts and stakeholders of contemporary issues related to public policy. The AIC organises these discussions to develop and maintain a common and current knowledge base relating to significant issues.

Five roundtables were held this financial year.

Diverting young people from the criminal justice system: what works, what's promising? (no 79) 28 July 2003

Held at the AIC, this roundtable was co-hosted by the Crime Prevention Branch of the AGD. The roundtable was a culmination of work commissioned by the Crime Prevention Branch investigating strategies for diverting young people from the criminal justice system, particularly mentoring and youth conferencing and diversion. It provided an opportunity to establish an agenda for pursuing the findings of the commissioned reports.

Diverting young people away from the criminal justice system has become a common and identified goal in all Australian states and territories in recent years, evidenced through the growing popularity and use of youth conferencing and police cautioning, as opposed to the more formal processes of the youth court. It is assumed that both juveniles and society at large will benefit more from strategies which divert youngsters away from and out of the juvenile justice system through being less expensive in the longer term and more effective than court and traditional punitive measures in encouraging rehabilitation. However, while this concept has led to early intervention strategies being devised and applied with vigour, it is essential for policymakers and society more generally to know whether these strategies actually achieve their goals and are effective in preventing young people from coming into further contact with the juvenile justice system.

There were 23 participants at the roundtable from a diverse range of fields, including police, university criminology departments, juvenile justice departments and other government bodies, and participants were drawn from across Australia.

Australian Capital Territory recidivist property offenders (no 80) 15 August 2003

As part of the AIC's research on Australian Capital Territory recidivist property offenders for the Australian Capital Territory Department of Justice and Community Services, a roundtable was held with key stakeholders to discuss the findings of the research study. Representatives from Australian Capital Territory Department of Justice and Community Services, Australian Capital Territory AFP, Australian Capital Territory Corrections, Australian Capital Territory Juvenile Justice and the Chief Minister's Department attended the meeting.

The research was commissioned to evaluate a number of competing hypotheses that had been provided anecdotally as explanations for the significant drop in property offending in the Australian Capital Territory. These explanations were the heroin drought, the AFP's intelligence-led Operation Anchorage targeting known property offenders, and changes to the Australian Capital Territory Bail Act.

There was considerable discussion over the results ranging from data quality issues through to implications of the work. There were some suggestions for further analyses that the researchers agreed to pursue before finalising the report.

Adolescent sexual offending (no 81) 13 November 2003

Held at the Department of Criminology, University of Melbourne, this roundtable was attended by researchers and practitioners involved in adolescent sexual offending programs from all jurisdictions in Australia and New Zealand.

Discussion centred around the development of a research agenda which could inform both policy and practice. Research topics identified included: the process of therapeutic change, resilience/protective factors, effects of family/individual intervention, the implication of developmental phases and treatment type, group-based interventions, systems intervention/multidisciplinary teams, non-specialised interventions, the effect of removal from home, intensity/duration of intervention, and the effects on treatment providers.

Property crime in the Australian Capital Territory: identifying trends and developing directions (no 82), 21 November 2003

The AIC, in collaboration with the Australian Capital Territory Department of Justice and Community Safety presented the key findings of contemporary Australian Capital Territory research into burglary reduction. The purpose of this roundtable was to bring together key Australian Capital Territory stakeholders and encourage discussion on future directions in burglary reduction. Attendees included representatives from the AFP, Australian Capital Territory Department of Corrective Services, Australian Capital Territory Urban Services, and Australian Capital Territory Housing. The outcomes of the roundtable have since been used to inform the development of the 2004 Australian Capital Territory property crime reduction strategy.

DUMA technical workshop (no 83), 2-3 December 2003

The Queensland Police Service in conjunction with the AIC hosted the 2003 DUMA technical meeting. The main focus of the meeting was to provide a forum for discussing ways in which DUMA data are being utilised by each jurisdiction. Presentations using addendum data highlighted the usefulness of the addendums to garner further information on specific issues. Delegates from some of the police services discussed the ways in which the DUMA data are being used at a strategic/policy level.

The meeting was attended by representatives from the Australian Government departments of Health and Ageing and Attorney-Generals', ACS and the AFP. Representatives from the Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australian, South Australian and Victorian police services were also present, as were representatives from BOCSAR, OCSAR, CMC, PaLMS and the data collectors.

Sexual assault roundtable (no 84), 29 April 2004

As part of the Australian Government's National Initiative to Combat Sexual Assault, the OSW commissioned the AIC to conduct research into criminal justice responses to adult sexual assault. The project, which commenced in 2002, extends over a three-year period. The research output of the first year included a comprehensive international literature review on the non-reporting and hidden recording of sexual assault and a study of the rates, risk factors and treatment efficacy for sexual recidivism.

The AIC and OSW convened this roundtable for two primary reasons. The first aim was to report on the findings from a study of prosecutorial decisions in adult sexual assault cases, which was conducted during the second year of the project. The second objective was to prioritise the research direction for the third and final year of the project.

Participants included representatives of a range of stakeholder groups, including: Queensland Police Service, ATSIS, the Australian Capital Territory Director of Public Prosecutions, the Northern Territory Department of Justice, Flinders University, Edith Cowan University, the National Association of Services against Sexual Violence, Victim Support Australasia, and the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre.

Following a welcome by Dr Toni Makkai, acting director AIC, Jill Farrelly, assistant secretary OSW, gave a background briefing on the various projects implemented under the initiative. Dr Denise Lievore presented a brief overview of the main findings from the research on prosecutorial decision-making. Participants then discussed various issues arising from the presentation before addressing information needs and priorities for future research. The discussion gave rise to broad agreement on the need for victim-focused research that would address gaps in knowledge about the objectives, decisions and/or experiences of sexual assault survivors within the criminal justice system and how these match with the responses of legal and other agencies.

Seminars

Appendix 4 lists international public seminars hosted by the AIC this financial year. Details of AIC seminars can be found at http://www.aic.gov.au/conferences/occasional. The AIC also held a number of in-house staff seminars.

In addition to the more structured roundtables and conferences, the director and staff have disseminated AIC work in the form of presentations to meetings of criminal justice practitioners, government agencies, academics, politicians and other interested parties. These presentations are listed in Appendix 3.

AIC material is also disseminated through the AIC's email alerting service. Subscribers to this service receive the fortnightly Crime facts info sheets, the monthly AICrime reduction matters sheets, and notification of any new AIC releases or AIC events. During the year subscribers were asked if they wished to remain on the list - results were overwhelmingly positive. New subscribers are always welcome. To subscribe, email aicpress@aic.gov.au.

Media liaison

The AIC conducts its media liaison under the guidance of its media policy.

The AIC continues to be consulted on a wide range of criminological issues by the media. This contact involves the media seeking comment on AIC work, other agencies' work and general background information and statistics on crime within Australia. Table 4 shows the extent of this contact.

During the year, the most media attention was generated by Contract killings in Australia, number 53 in the AIC's Research and public policy series, and Homicide in Australia: 2001-2002 National homicide monitoring program (NHMP) annual report, Research and public policy series number 46. Copies of media releases for these publications, and all media releases are on the AIC's website at http://www.aic.gov.au/media/index.html

Over the financial year 2003-04 , the AIC was mentioned 20 times in Hansard, the record of Australian parliamentary proceedings.

Table 4: Media liaisons

Number of media requests*	599
Number of media releases	14
Number of releases of AIC products by the Minister	6
Number of releases of AIC products from other agencies	1
Source: AIC media database [computer file] * Note: Media calls concerning one topic from the same media identity are recorded once

Australian crime and violence prevention awards

The annual Australian crime and violence prevention awards are designed to reward better practice in the prevention or reduction of violence and other types of crimes in Australia, to encourage public initiatives and to assist governments identify and develop practical projects that will reduce violence and other types of crime in the community.

Winners of the 2003 Australian crime and violence prevention awards were announced by Senator the Hon. Chris Ellison, Minister for Justice and Customs and Senator for Western Australia, on Tuesday 14 October 2003. The annual awards are sponsored by the heads of Australian Governments and members of the Australian and New Zealand Crime Prevention Ministerial Forum as a joint federal, state and territory initiative. They include monetary awards totalling $130,000. Three projects were selected as national winners:

LifeWorks - Violence Prevention Program (Victoria)

The program is a whole-of-family, early intervention program for men who abuse their partners and children and for women and children who experience domestic and family violence. The program operates through a suite of therapeutic and educative interventions including individual counselling for men, women, adolescents and children; men's behaviour change programs; women's anger management programs; women's support groups; young men's groups; facilitated self-help groups; and parents accepting responsibility kids are safe (PARKAS) groups.

Bush Breakaway (Youth Action Program) (South Australia)

Participants are identified through the criminal justice system and community agencies and schools. Participants take part in the challenging offending pathway, where the young person takes part in the course for 12-18 months. The components of the course include a structured challenging offending behaviours education program, a community work program, mentoring, support at school, a bush camp, art and sport and life skills training. At the completion of the course mentors continue to work with participants for up to a year.

New Living (Western Australia)

New Living upgrades older public housing estates, including refurbishment of dwellings, redesigning parks, upgrading lighting and using safe city designs to assist in reducing crime and allowing residents to feel safer. There are seven projects underway in metropolitan Perth and nine in country areas. Security patrols have been used to deter vandalism in New Living areas. The project's goals are to: reduce public housing to under 12 per cent; reduce crime; reduce the social stigma attached to the area; provide a balanced social mix; encourage a sense of security for residents; encourage home ownership; increase property values; and upgrade public housing.

Details of all the winning projects can be found at http://www.aic.gov.au/avpa/2003.html

Interns

Two AIC research internships were granted in 2004. Elizabeth Watson from Griffith University and Neale Williams from La Trobe University joined the AIC from 19 January to 13 February 2004. Elizabeth worked with the Information services program, while Neale worked with the Sophisticated crime, regulation and business program.

Administrative support

The Research dissemination and support program also provides a coordinating role for all research projects undertaken. This involves ensuring that all project contracts, risk assessments, ethics approvals (if required), deliverables and timelines are recorded and met. Allocation of project numbers, and recording of ethics numbers and dataset numbers are part of this role.

This program also provides general clerical support, such as basic data entry, travel bookings, event invitations and organisation and maintenance of the mailing list databases.