Annual report 2004/05

Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2005
ISSN 0311-449X

Output 1.1: Policy advice and publications : Research services

• Objective
• Strategic priorities
• Research work programs
• National monitoring programs
• Crime and justice projects

Objective

The objective of Research services is to conduct research on the extent, nature and prevention of crime in Australia in order to provide timely, policy-relevant advice to the Australian Government and other key clients.

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 work programs

During the financial year 2004-05, there were four research programs within Research services, each with a different focus. They were:

• Crime Monitoring
• Crime Reduction and Review
• Global, Economic and Electronic Crime
• Justice and Crime Analysis

This section presents a brief summary of each of the research programs, including their objectives and main activities over the past financial year. Immediately following this are highlights of the national monitoring programs and key projects, including significant developments and outputs. A summary for the year of outputs and outcome/impact indicators for all the monitoring programs and projects is provided at the end of the chapter.

The Crime Monitoring Program's main objectives are to enhance and promote knowledge of some of Australia's central crime issues: homicide, armed robbery, firearms, and illicit drug use and crime through the analysis of longitudinal data, and to undertake studies on violent crime and victimisation. Specifically, the program aims to:

• maintain accurate datasets collected as part of the AIC's core monitoring programs;
• inform key stakeholders through AIC publications, and data housed on both the secure AIC website and public website of changes in patterns and trends in the key monitored areas in a timely manner; and
• analyse trends in crime offending and victimisation.

Within this program, there are four national monitoring programs:

• National homicide monitoring program (NHMP)
• National firearms monitoring program (NFMP)
• National armed robbery monitoring program (NARMP)
• Drug use monitoring in Australia (DUMA) Program.

In addition to the monitoring programs, there were several major research projects:

• bushfire arson;
• International Crime Victimisation Survey (ICVS) 2004;
• weapon involvement in violent crime; and
• violence associated with motor vehicle use.

The Crime Reduction and Review Program is a new area in the AIC's research program. It reflects a further commitment by the AIC to implement ways to promote research, evaluation and knowledge exchange among crime reduction practitioners and policy makers in Australia.

As the program's name implies, it is designed to assist in bringing rigour to the task of improving the evidence base for informing the design and implementation of Australian crime reduction and prevention programs. It does this by contributing to organisational capacity building through strategies such as collaborative projects and undertaking specific crime reduction research and evaluation studies.

Major research projects within this program during 2004-05 included:

• an evaluation of the NSW government's local crime prevention planning process;
• collaborative research and development projects with the WA Office of Crime Prevention (OCP);
• an evaluation of north Queensland drug courts;
• a national review of specialty courts;
• a study of performance measurement in drug law enforcement; and
• analysis of policing implications of illicit drug use in rural and remote Indigenous communities.

The aim of the Global, Economic and Electronic Crime program is to provide information on and analysis of the causes, extent, prevention and control of transnational criminal activity, economic crime, high tech crime and other complex and sophisticated criminal activity, including the identification of emerging criminal threats and response strategies.

Major research projects in 2004-05 included:

• transnational organised crime;
• regulation of money laundering;
• serious taxation fraud;
• crime in Australian fisheries; and
• collaborative research with the Australian High Tech Crime Centre (AHTCC).

The main objectives of the Justice and Crime Analysis Program are to identify the nature and extent of particular crimes within the community, to identify the number and characteristics of people detained in custody and to identify trends in crime across time. Specifically, the program aims to:

• maintain and enhance an accurate and useful database of deaths which occur in police, prison and juvenile custody or custody-related operations;
• identify trends in Indigenous and non-Indigenous custody over time;
• explore issues relating to sexual assault;
• identify trends (time series) in crime data;
• use secondary data to add value to existing knowledge about particular crime issues; and
• improve understanding about young people in the criminal justice system.

The three national monitoring programs under this research program are:

• National deaths in custody program (NDCP);
• National police custody survey (NPCS); and
• National juveniles in detention monitoring program (NJDMP).

Major research projects in 2004-05 included:

• Drug use careers of offenders (adult females and juveniles);
• National drink spiking project;
• International Violence Against Women Survey (IVAWS);
• Criminal justice responses to sexual assault; and
• Analysis of ACT family violence data.

Research activities within the Institute fall into two main categories: national monitoring programs and crime and justice projects.

National monitoring programs

Monitoring programs are core research activities of the Institute. The AIC is a leader in the field of crime and justice monitoring, administering seven highly productive national monitoring programs. These programs collect data at regular intervals and produce annual reports, conference papers and publications on trends and topical issues.

National homicide monitoring program (NHMP)

The NHMP was established in 1990 following a recommendation from the National Committee on Violence. The program collects and analyses information on all homicides (murder and manslaughter, but excluding driving causing death) in Australia. In its fifteenth year of operation the NHMP continues to provide strategic policy and operational information on homicide in Australia.

As a data source it is recognised 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. (See Box 1.)

Publications

• Mouzos J & Venditto J 2004. Contract killings in Australia. Australian police journal 58(4):154-161
• Mouzos J 2004. Linking data to practice in homicide and violence prevention. In V Pottie Bunge, CR Block & M Lane (eds) Linking data to practice in homicide and violence prevention: proceedings of the 2004 meeting of the Homicide Research Working Group. Chicago: HRWG Publications
• Mouzos J 2004. Women's experience of lethal and non-lethal violence. In V Pottie Bunge, CR Block & M Lane (eds) Linking data to practice in homicide and violence prevention: proceedings of the 2004 meeting of the Homicide Research Working Group. Chicago: HRWG Publications
• Mouzos J 2004. Merging research and practice: an examination of contract killings in Australia. In V Pottie Bunge, CR Block & M Lane (eds) Linking data to practice in homicide and violence prevention: proceedings of the 2004 meeting of the Homicide Research Working Group. Chicago: HRWG Publications

Presentations

• Mouzos J & Venditto J 2004. Murder for hire: an examination of attempted and completed contract killings in Australia. Presented at iFocus: NSW Police intelligence conference, 15 December, Goulburn
• Mouzos J 2004. Domestic homicides in Australia: trends and patterns. Presented at Domestic violence liaison officers forum, 2 September, Goulburn
• Mouzos J 2005. Murder and manslaughter in the Australian Capital Territory: findings from the National Homicide Monitoring Program. Presented at ACT Office of Victims of Crime Coordinator seminar, 15 April, Canberra
• Mouzos J 2005. Monitoring crime in Australia: the do's and don'ts of setting up a monitoring program. Presented at Safety, crime and justice: from data to policy, Australian Institute of Criminology conference 6-7 June, Canberra

National firearms monitoring program (NFMP)

The NFMP was established in 1997 in response to an Australian Police Ministers Council (APMC) resolution tasking the AIC with the responsibility of monitoring 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 Australian Government Attorney-General's Department (AGD) and leading providers of information and statistics such as the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Presentations

• Mouzos J 2004. Guns, drugs and crime: the Australian experience. Presented at Crime in Australia: international connections, Australian Institute of Criminology conference, 29-30 November, Melbourne
• Mouzos J 2005. Firearms theft in Australia: a six-month exploratory analysis. Presented to APMC Firearms Policy Working Group, 23 March, Coolangatta
• Mouzos J 2005. Firearms and crime: the Australian experience. Presented at Sporting Shooters Association of Australia conference, 22-23 April, Adelaide
• Mouzos J 2005. Criminal exploitation of technology: sourcing firearms online. Presented at eBay firearms seminar, 11-12 May, Sydney

National armed robbery monitoring program (NARMP)

The NARMP was established as the result of a resolution by the APMC to monitor armed robbery in Australia. The main aim of the program is to examine in greater detail weapon use in armed robbery, and to monitor trends and patterns over time in the commission of the offence.

This program began in 2001 following consultations with key stakeholders in the area. Since 2003, state and territory police services have been forwarding armed robbery data on agreed variables to the AIC for analysis and reporting. This ongoing program has collated data for the calendar year 2003. The data were analysed and the outcomes of this examination were 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 are published on a secure AIC website accessed by key law enforcement stakeholders.

Publications

• Borzycki M, Sakurai Y & Mouzos J 2004. Armed robbery in Australia: 2003 National armed robbery monitoring program annual report. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology

Drug use monitoring in Australia (DUMA)

Established in 1999, the DUMA program currently collects quarterly drug use information from police detainees at seven sites across Australia: 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 program include the examination of the relationship between drugs and crime and the monitoring of local drug markets and drug use patterns by detainees across time.

Funded under the Australian Government's National Illicit Drug Strategy until 2008, the success of the DUMA program is dependent upon the in-kind assistance and continued support of the state police services involved. Funding for the Elizabeth site from the South Australian Attorney General's Department has been confirmed until 2007.

DUMA is the only drug monitoring program in Australia that validates self-report data with urine testing. The quarterly data collection provides an opportunity for policy-makers and law enforcement agencies to respond to early warning indicators and emerging issues 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, with the subject and questions developed in consultation with key stakeholders. During 2004, addenda were included on weapons, drug driving, drug dealing, mental health and amphetamines.

DUMA data are disseminated to key stakeholders through newsletters, the AIC website, publications, technical workshops and presentations at conferences and police training. One of the main access points for information on DUMA is from the DUMA section on the AIC website. Secure web pages 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 has access to the non-secure pages, which contain information about the program as well as the most up to date published aggregated data from the program. The website also contains links to the DUMA reports published by the AIC.

Publications

• Milner L 2004. Drug use monitoring in Australia. Of substance 2(4): 23-24
• Milner L & McGregor K 2004. Cocaine use among a sample of police detainees. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no 276. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Putt J, Payne J & Milner L 2005. Indigenous male offending and substance abuse. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no 293. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Schulte C, Mouzos, J & Makkai T 2005. Drug use monitoring in Australia: 2004 annual report on drug use among police detainees. Research and public policy no 65. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology

Presentations

• Makkai T 2004. Drugs and crime. Presented to UN Office of Drugs and Crime, 23 August, Vienna Austria
• Makkai T 2005. DUMA overview and 2004 results. Presented to Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy, 19 May 2005, Canberra
• Mouzos J 2004. Guns, drugs and crime: the Australian experience. Presented at Crime in Australia: international connections, Australian Institute of Criminology conference, 29-30 November, Melbourne
• Mouzos J 2004. Guns, drugs and crime: results from the weapons addendum. Presented to DUMA technical meeting, 8-9 November, Canberra
• Mouzos J & Payne J 2005. Researching drugs and crime at the Australian Institute of Criminology. Presented to Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, 10 February, Canberra
• Schulte C 2004. The prevalence of drug driving amongst the DUMA sample. Presented to DUMA technical meeting, 8-9 November, Canberra
• Schulte C 2005. A dangerous mix: an exploratory analysis of drug driving amongst a sample of police detainees in Australia. Presented at Crime, community and the state, Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology conference, Wellington, 9-11 February

National deaths in custody program (NDICP)

The NDICP commenced in 1992 to produce and disseminate regular reports on the number of deaths in custody in Australia, and the patterns and trends observed in those deaths. The program examines the circumstances of deaths in prison, police custody and juvenile detention around Australia on an ongoing basis. Its purpose is to provide accurate, up-to-date information that will contribute to public policy and increase public understanding of the issues. The program is part of the Australian Government's commitment to implementing the recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (RCIADIC). Annual reports are published by the AIC on national deaths in custody, as well as occasional Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice papers which focus on particular aspects of deaths in custody, such as gender.

Publications

• McCall, M 2004. Deaths in custody in Australia: 2003 national deaths in custody program annual report. Technical and background paper no 12. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology

National police custody survey (NPCS)

One key recommendation of the RCIADIC was to monitor the number of people placed in police custody and the over-representation of Indigenous people in police custody, to assist in determining the degree to which recommendations from the RCIADIC were being implemented. The first NPCS 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 by the AIC and the findings were published in early 2005. The 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 a specified one month period.

Publications

• Taylor N & Bareja M 2005. 2002 National police custody survey. Technical and background paper no 13. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology

National juveniles in detention monitoring program (NJDMP)

The NJDMP provides a comprehensive annual overview of juvenile detention statistics across Australia, dating from 1981. The statistics are derived from quarterly reports on juvenile detention submitted to the AIC by the relevant juvenile justice authorities in each Australian jurisdiction. The data provided by each of these authorities contain information on the number of young people in the custody of the juvenile justice agency on the last day of each quarter in the year. Details include gender and age of juvenile, whether they are on remand or sentenced, and Indigenous status.

Publications

• Charlton K & McCall M 2004. Statistics on juvenile detention in Australia: 1981-2003. Technical and background paper no 10. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology

Crime and justice projects

The AIC conducts a range of research projects in addition to the monitoring programs. For the purposes of this annual report, the projects are grouped into the following six categories:

• offenders and offences;
• victims and victimisation;
• criminal justice responses;
• transnational and organised crime;
• economic and high tech crime; and
• capacity building.

The following section details key projects during 2004-05.

Offenders and offences

A major focus of the Institute's research is on offenders and specific offence types. To improve understanding of the criminal justice system it is vital to know something about the characteristics of offenders and why people commit crime. Over the 12-month period, research on offenders and offences has focused on four key projects: drug use and offending histories of incarcerated offenders, violence associated with motor vehicle use, bushfire arson, and fisheries crime.

The Drug use careers of offenders (DUCO) project, funded by the National Illicit Drugs Strategy through the AGD is a survey-based study of incarcerated people that examines the relationship between their lifetime use of drugs and criminality. There were three stages of the DUCO project: a survey of incarcerated males, a survey of incarcerated females and a survey of incarcerated juveniles. The first two stages have been completed with the main report on the adult male prisoners' survey released in 2003 and the main report on the adult female prisoners' survey released in 2004. Data collection for juvenile DUCO was conducted in all jurisdictions between December 2003 and December 2004, with the final report on the key findings due for release in the near future.

Violence associated with motor vehicle use, more commonly referred to as 'road rage', has attracted considerable public interest in recent years. In 2004, AIC staff were engaged as consultants by the Victorian Parliament's Drugs and Crime Prevention Committee for its inquiry into violence associated with motor vehicle use. A discussion paper was released in May 2004 and the final report which was tabled in April 2005 examines definitional issues, the extent of the problem in Victoria and overseas, the nature and impact of incidents of road violence, causes, preventive strategies and legal and legislative responses.

The AIC in partnership with the ACT Department of Justice and Community Safety, with funding from the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre, has completed the first year of 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. Major outputs from the project have included a comprehensive literature review, regular bushfire arson bulletins, roundtables, and conference presentations.

There is increasing and widespread concern about the extent and scope of illegal activity in Australia's fishing industry. The AIC was funded by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to examine the nature and extent of crime in Australia's fishing industry. There are two stages to the project. Stage 1 included consultations Australia-wide with Australian Government stakeholders, fisheries enforcement officers, police and industry representatives. In addition, a review of all state, territory and Commonwealth fisheries-related legislation was undertaken. Key issues from Stage 1 were summarised by an AIC Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice paper released in April 2005.

To be completed by December 2005, Stage 2 includes a review of relevant Australian and overseas literature relating to fisheries crime, law enforcement powers and penalty regimes. An analysis will also be undertaken of reported fisheries crime in selected Australian jurisdictions, prosecution rates, and sentencing outcomes in selected Australian jurisdictions. A survey of fisheries officers Australia-wide will also be conducted during Stage 2.

In conjunction with the AHTCC the Institute undertook research into the nature and extent of online child pornography and those who commit it. A range of presentations and publications during the year outlined characteristics of the crime and offenders. Further details are provided under the section on economic and high-tech crime.

Publications

• Anderson KM & McCusker R 2005. Crime in the Australian fishing industry: key issues. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no 297. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Johnson H 2004. Drugs and crime: a study of incarcerated female offenders. Research and public policy no 63. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Johnson H 2004. Key findings from the drug use careers of female offenders study. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no 289. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Makkai T & Payne J 2005. Illicit drug use and offending histories: a study of male incarcerated offenders in Australia. Probation journal 52(2): 153-168
• Victoria. Parliament. Drugs and Crime Prevention Committee 2005. Inquiry into violence associated with motor vehicle use: final report. Melbourne: Parliament of Victoria. (Smith RG & Walvisch J consultants)
• Willis M 2005. Bushfire arson: a review of the literature. Research and public policy no 61. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology

Presentations

• Anderson KM & McCusker R 2004. National study into crime in the fishing industry. Presented to the Australian Fisheries Management Forum, December 2004
• Johnson H 2004. Comparative analysis of drug use by incarcerated offenders. Presented at Crime in Australia: international connections, Australian Institute of Criminology conference, 29-30 November, Melbourne
• Johnson H 2005. Co-morbid drug and mental health problems among incarcerated women. Presented at Crime, community and the state, Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology conference, Wellington, 11 February
• Smith RG 2005. Measuring road rage. Safety, crime and justice: from data to policy, Australian Institute of Criminology conference, 6-7 June, Canberra
• Smith RG & Walvisch J 2004. Inquiry into violence associated with motor vehicle use. Presented at Public hearings of Parliament of Victoria, Drugs and Crime Prevention Committee, 19 August and 9 September, Melbourne
• Willis M 2004. Bushfire arson in Australia. Presented at 1st annual Bushfire CRC conference, 6-8 October, Perth
• Willis M 2005. Program C 'self sufficient communities'. Increasing community self-sufficiency in managing the bushfire risk. Program overview presented to the Bushfire CRC forum, 29 April, Canberra
• Willis M 2005. Human caused: bushfire arson in Australia. Presented at Fire in the Australian environment seminar at School of Resources, Environment and Society ANU, 13 May, Canberra
• Willis M 2005. Fire-bugged poster. Presentation to Bushfire CRC Fire Managers Meeting, 6-9 June, Beechworth

Victims and victimisation

To obtain a better picture of the causes and impact of crime, it is important to understand types of crime and its victims, and the risk factors surrounding victimisation. In 2004-05 the AIC released the key findings from international surveys of crime victimisation and of violence against women, a major report on the nature and extent of drink spiking in Australia, and reports on online credit card fraud against small business, and on the predictors and prevention of crimes against business.

Crime victimisation surveys provide an important complement to official police statistics. In 2004, the AIC managed the Australian component of the ICVS in which 7001 people were interviewed about their experiences and perceptions of crime. The ICVS is an international project which has involved over 60 countries worldwide since its inception in 1989. It is a wide-ranging survey focusing on experiences with three personal and six household crimes, details of the impact of these crimes and whether they were reported to the police, and perceptions of personal safety. There is no other national survey of this scope and detail undertaken in Australia.

The 2004 ICVS serves the purpose of providing comparable international data, and has also been adapted to focus on some specific policy issues of interest to the Australian government. Funding was provided by the AGD with the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs. Key results from the survey were released in April 2005 (see Box 3).

IVAWS was commissioned by the then Australian Government Office of the Status of Women. This was an Australia-wide survey designed to capture information about violence against women in Australia. The IVAWS was conducted across Australia between December 2002 and June 2003. A total of 6,677 women aged between 18 and 69 years participated in the survey, and provided information on their experiences of physical and sexual violence. A final report was published in September 2004, describing the type of violence (including threats of violence) by current and former intimate male partners, other known males, such as relatives, friends and acquaintances, and strangers. It also examined women's reported experiences of childhood violence, as well as their perceptions and reactions to the violence they experienced. The survey will contribute to an international dataset for cross-cultural analysis of violence against women.

In July 2003 the AIC was commissioned by the Australian Government Attorney-General's Department, on behalf of the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy (MCDS), to conduct research investigating the nature and extent of drink spiking in Australia. Drink spiking was targeted as an emerging issue for examination under the alcohol priority area identified by the MCDS. The key aims of the research were to estimate the extent of drink spiking and associated criminal victimisation; document current legislative and procedural arrangements relating to drink spiking; and identify effective communication and educational initiatives to prevent and respond to drink spiking. The report was released by the Minister for Justice and Customs at the MCDS meeting in November 2004.

To assist small businesses deal with crime, the Australian Government, through the then National Crime Prevention Program, commissioned the AIC to conduct specialist crime prevention research, analysis and evaluation. From 1999 to 2004, the project resulted in a substantial amount of material. In 2004-05 the final outputs from this project were released, including a major report on online credit card fraud against small business and a report on the predictors and prevention of crimes against business.

Publications

• Charlton K & Taylor N 2004. Online credit card fraud against small businesses. Research and public policy no 60. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Charlton K & Taylor N 2005. The trouble with business watch: why business watch programs fail. Security journal 18(2): 7-18
• Johnson H 2005. Crime victimisation in Australia: key results of the 2004 International Crime Victimisation Survey. Research and public policy no 64. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Johnson H 2005. Crime victimisation in Australia: key findings of the 2004 International Crime Victimisation Survey. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no 298. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Mouzos J & Makkai T 2004. Women's experiences of male violence: findings from the Australian component of the International Violence Against Women Survey (IVAWS). Research and public policy no 56. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Taylor N & Charlton K 2005. Police shopfronts and reporting to police by retailers. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no 295. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Taylor N, Prichard J & Charlton K 2004. National Project on Drink Spiking: investigating the nature and extent of drink spiking in Australia. Report prepared for the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy. Available online at http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/reports/2004-11-drinkspiking.pdf
• Taylor N 2005. Drink spiking: identifying the problem and understanding the needs of victims. Of substance 3(2): 24-25

Presentations

• Makkai T & Mouzos J 2005. The International Violence Against Women Survey: overview of findings from Australia. Presented at 11th United Nations Congress on Crime and Criminal Justice, 18-25 April, Bangkok
• Taylor N 2004. National project on the nature and extent of drink spiking in Australia, stage one. Presented at the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy meeting, 12 November, Brisbane
• Taylor N 2005. Drink spiking: the latest research and reforms. Presented at Underage Drinking Forum, 22 June, Canberra

Criminal justice responses

The effectiveness of the criminal justice system and the impact of changes over time are significant areas for research from a policy and practice perspective. The AIC continues to add to the evidence base on how the system is operating through research, evaluations and national reviews. In particular, it has been involved in a major research project over the past three years into criminal justice system responses to adult sexual assault (see Box 4).

In 2004-05 the AIC also continued to evaluate drug courts in Queensland, and was funded to conduct a review of specialty courts within Australia. Policing is a crucial component at the front end of the criminal justice system, and during the year the AIC has conducted major projects on drug law enforcement. To assist criminal justice practitioners in Australia and overseas stay in touch with major trends in criminal justice operations the AIC produces relevant crime fact sheets and gives presentations at conferences, workshops and roundtables using monitoring data and specific research findings.

In 2002 the AIC was commissioned by the then Australian Government Office of the Status of Women to conduct research into criminal justice responses to adult sexual assault. The overarching aim of the project was to inform the evidence base and ensure a sound policy platform for the Australian Government's National Initiative to Combat Sexual Assault. Originally funded for a two-year period, the support was extended to enable the project to run to June 2005. A series of review and empirical studies was conducted within each twelve-month stage. Each of the studies addressed a different aspect of the topic, used different methodologies and data sources, and built on various aspects of the previous studies. Feedback from stakeholders indicates that the project contributed significantly to the field by identifying and addressing key gaps in local knowledge. The results have been disseminated through conference presentations, monographs, short papers and roundtables.

The Institute was engaged by the Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney General to evaluate Queensland drug courts. The primary aim was to determine the impact of drug court participation on drug use, and criminal activity and community health risks associated with drug dependency. The report on the south east Queensland drug court was released in 2003. In 2004-05 the focus was on the north Queensland drug court. Important information has emerged on administering drug courts in regional settings, and on the efficacy of participation.

Over the past decade there has been an exponential growth in the number and range of specialty courts, including drug courts, in Australia and overseas. In 2004-05 the AIC was funded by the Criminology Research Council (CRC) to undertake a national review of specialty courts, to identify the number, location and type of courts across Australia, and the factors that have contributed to their development.

During the year the AIC conducted two major projects related to drug law enforcement funded by the National Drug Law Enforcement Research Fund (NDLERF). The first, on performance measurement in drug law enforcement, aims to strengthen current Australian approaches at the national, state and territory level. Part of this project involved testing a proposed set of enhancements at the national and state level. The second project, jointly undertaken with the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, examined the policing implications of illicit drug use in rural and remote Indigenous communities and identified good policing practice to prevent and minimise harms associated with such use.

Two reports prepared by the AIC and released by external agencies during the year had a community corrections focus. With funding from AGD, the Institute undertook a review of post-release interventions for prisoners returning to the community. The main report, comprising a literature review and a detailed description of services, was released in 2005. Another report, undertaken for the Australian Government Department of Family and Community Services examined issues confronting ex-prisoners in relation to housing and homelessness.

Publications

• Borzycki M 2005. Interventions for prisoners returning to the community. Canberra: Attorney-General's Department
• Lievore D 2004. Prosecutorial decisions in adult sexual assault cases: an Australian study. Canberra: Australian Government Office of the Status of Women
• Lievore D 2005. Prosecutorial decisions in adult sexual assault cases. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no 291. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Lievore D 2004. Victim credibility in adult sexual assault cases. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no 288. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Willis M 2004 Ex-prisoners, SAAP, housing and homelessness. Canberra: Australian Government Department of Family and Community Services

Presentations

• Borzycki M 2004. Corrections of place: alternatives for managing offenders in the community. Presented at South Australia Community Corrections conference, 30 July, Adelaide
• Lievore D 2004. Victim credibility in adult sexual assault cases. Presented at Home truths: stop sexual assault & domestic violence - a national challenge, CASA forum, VicHealth, 16 September, Melbourne
• Lievore D 2004. Prosecutorial decisions in adult sexual assault cases. Presented at Crime in Australia: international connections, Australian Institute of Criminology conference, 29-30 November, Melbourne
• Makkai T & Payne J 2004. Drug courts. Presented to the UN Office of Drugs and Crime, 24 August, Vienna
• Makkai T & Payne J 2004. Who graduates from a drug court? Presented to the European Society of Criminology, 26 August, Amsterdam
• Payne J & Wiman G 2005. Working across government: the forgotten dimension to drug court evaluations. Presented at At the cutting edge: therapeutic jurisprudence in magistrates courts conference, 5 May, Perth
• Putt J 2005. Australian corrective services and prison based research. Presented at International conference on criminal corrections,1-3 June, Chiayi, Taiwan

Transnational and organised crime

In recognition of how globalisation and new technologies are influencing the nature and extent of criminal activity, the AIC has strategically focused some of its resources on transnational and organised crime research since 2003. The initial focus was on updating an overview of Australian law enforcement efforts to combat transnational organised crime, followed by collaborative work with AGD on the nature and extent of money laundering in Australia and the impact of responses since 1995. Throughout the year a series of roundtables and presentations at conferences and police forums on transnational crime and money laundering were held. Several Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice papers, listed in the following section under economic crime, have also been released on two areas that can facilitate transnational and organised crime, identity fraud and spam.

The Institute has worked in collaboration with a number of law enforcement and intelligence agencies within Australia including the Australian Crime Commission, the Australian Federal Police, the AGD, the Office of National Assessments and the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) to ensure that the Institute's knowledge is widely disseminated. The nature of that collaboration has included the provision of briefings on transnational crime types, the evaluation of agency crime and trend assessments and presentations and workshops on key issues.

In the past year, the AIC continued to provide support for United Nations activities and meetings related to crime prevention and criminal justice. Background briefings on each of the six workshops of the 11th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice held in Bangkok in April 2005 were prepared for AGD in the lead up to the congress. The Institute also participated as a member of the official Australian Government delegation at the congress. AIC staff were actively involved as the scientific rapporteur for the workshop on measures to combat economic crime, including money laundering, and as a panellist at the workshop on enhancing criminal justice reform.

Publications

• Australian Institute of Criminology 2004. The worldwide fight against transnational organised crime: Australia. Technical and background paper no 9. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology. (Report prepared for the United Nations Crime Program meeting, October 2004, Vienna)
• Makkai T & McCusker R 2005. What do we need to know? Improving the evidence base on trafficking in human beings in the Asia Pacific region. Development bulletin no 66: 36-42
• McCusker R 2004. China, globalisation and crime: a potential victim of its own prospective success? Journal of financial crime 12(1): 44-52
• McCusker R 2005. Issues of corruption and crime: transnational crime syndicates and trafficking. Development bulletin no 66: 48-52

Presentations

• Anderson K 2004. The tuna industry in the western and central Pacific Ocean: understanding and resolving legislative non-compliance. Presented at Crime in Australia: international connections, Australian Institute of Criminology conference, 29-30 November, Melbourne
• Makkai T 2005. Scientific rapporteur's technical overview of Workshop on Economic Crime and Money Laundering session 1: Economic crime, 11th United Nations Congress on Crime and Criminal Justice, 18-25 April 2005 Bangkok
• Makkai T 2005. Scientific rapporteur's technical overview of Workshop on Economic Crime and Money Laundering session 2: Money laundering, 11th United Nations Congress on Crime and Criminal Justice, 18-25 April, Bangkok
• Makkai T & McCusker R 2004. People trafficking in the East Asia-Pacific: how reliable is the data? Presented at Symposium on people trafficking: issues of human security and development, 1-2 September, Canberra
• McCusker R 2004. Issues of corruption and crime: transnational crime syndicates and trafficking. Presented at Symposium on people trafficking: issues of human security and development, 1-2 September, Canberra
• McCusker R 2005. Law enforcement cooperation in the Asia-Pacific. Presented at Workshop 1: Enhancing Law Enforcement Cooperation, including Extradition, 11th United Nations Congress on Crime and Criminal Justice, 18-25 April, Bangkok
• McCusker R 2004. Transnational crime: lateral thinking. Presented at Crime in Australia: international connections, Australian Institute of Criminology conference, 29-30 November, Melbourne
• McCusker R 2005. Strategies and control plans for anti-money laundering and terrorist financing. Presented at National Fraud Summit, 24 March, Sydney
• McCusker R 2005. Anti-money laundering and compliance issues. Presented to Australian Compliance Institute, 12 May, Melbourne
• McCusker R 2005. Crime management: from the global to the local. Presented at Crime Managers' Course, NSW Police College, 25 May, Goulburn

Economic and high tech crime

The AIC has continued its innovative research into economic and high tech crime. As part of its collaborative research, and in close cooperation with the AHTCC, the AIC develops new research projects and provides reports and analysis for the AHTCC on issues related to fighting high tech crime in Australia. The outcomes of this research are published in a series of jointly-badged AIC/AHTCC publications, including High tech crime briefs and Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice papers, as well as various public and in-house presentations (see Box 5).

Links have been developed with other high tech crime researchers in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. In order to better understand developments in high tech crime law enforcement in the former soviet states and to explore opportunities for research collaboration, the high tech crime analyst visited the computer crime research centre in the Ukraine.

As computer-related crime becomes more widespread globally, both scholarly and journalistic accounts have tended to focus on the ways in which the crime has been committed and how it could have been prevented. Very little has been written about what follows: the capture, possible extradition, prosecution, sentencing and incarceration of the cyber criminal. Released in 2004, the book Cyber criminals on trial, co-authored by the AIC's principal criminologist, was the first international study of the manner in which cyber criminals have been dealt with by the judicial process in recent times. Some of the most prominent cases from around the globe are presented in an attempt to discern trends in the disposition of cases and common factors and problems that emerged during the processes of prosecution, trial and sentencing. To provide succinct overviews of a number of these issues, the AIC has also published several Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice papers in crime and criminal justice on the investigation and sentencing of high tech crimes.

The AIC has conducted extensive work on economic crime and its prevention and control. Several key papers and articles were released in 2004-05 drawing on earlier research conducted on serious fraud and on the nature and extent of crime in the professions. A new project funded by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) commenced in March 2005, which entails the analysis of all serious cases of taxation fraud prosecuted by the ATO between 2000 and 2004.

Publications

• Goldstraw J, Smith RG & Sakurai Y 2005. Gender and serious fraud in Australia and New Zealand. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no 292. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Graycar A & Smith RG 2004. Identifying and responding to corporate fraud in the 21st century. In A Bellur (ed) Corporate fraud: trends and lessons. Punjagutta, India: ICFAI Books
• Krone T 2004. A typology of online child pornography offending. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no 279. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Krone T 2005. Does thinking make it so? Defining online child pornography possession offences. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no 299. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
• McCusker R 2005. Spam: nuisance or menace? Prevention or cure? Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no 294. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Smith RG, Grabosky PN & Urbas GF 2004. Cyber criminals on trial. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
• Smith RG, Grabosky PN & Urbas GF 2005. Cyber criminals on trial. Criminal justice matters, 58: 22-23
• Smith RG 2004. Regulating dishonest conduct in the professions. In R Johnstone & R Sarre (eds), Regulation: enforcement and compliance. Research and public policy no 57. Australian Institute of Criminology: 91-105
• Smith RG 2004. Criminal forfeiture and restriction-of-use orders in sentencing high tech offenders. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no 286. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Smith RG 2004. Impediments to the successful investigation of transnational high tech crime. Trends and issues in crime and criminal justice no 282. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology

Presentations

• Krone T 2004. Quantifying online child exploitation. Presented at Crime in Australia: international connections, Australian Institute of Criminology conference, 29-30 November, Melbourne
• Krone T 2004. International trade in child pornography: law enforcement response. Presented at Crime in Australia: international connections, Australian Institute of Criminology conference, 29-30 November, Melbourne
• Krone T 2004. Cyberstalking. Presented at International policing conference: safety and security in a hi-tech world, 1 November, Adelaide
• Krone T 2005. The Australian High Tech Crime Centre: evidence of links between computer crime in Australia and former soviet bloc countries. Presented at occasional seminar, American University, 5 May, Washington
• Krone T 2005. Reporting, investigating and prosecuting online child exploitation in Australia. Presented at University of Toronto conference on online child exploitation, 2 May, Toronto
• Krone T 2005. Recent developments in hacking laws in Australia. Presented at occasional seminar series, Department of Justice, 28 April, Ottawa
• Krone T 2005. Plan or panic: responding to online child exploitation in Australia. Presented at Occasional seminar series, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Headquarters, 28 April, Ottawa
• Krone T 2005. Spiders on the web: the danger in chat rooms. Presented at Crime, community and the state, Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology conference, Wellington, 9-11 February
• Krone T 2005. Policing online child sexual abuse. Presented at Online child sexual exploitation team investigator's conference, 7 February, Gold Coast
• McCusker R 2005. New practical approaches in managing identity fraud for the finance sector. Presented at Finance sector fraud conference, 10 May, Sydney
• Smith RG 2004. Strategic fraud control initiatives for Victoria Police. Presented at Victoria Police fraud forum, 6 September, Melbourne
• Smith RG 2004. Key issues in the prosecution of financial crime and corruption. Presented at 5th National investigations symposium NSW ICAC and NSW Ombudsman, 5 November, Sydney
• Smith RG 2004. Understanding tertiary crime prevention in controlling cyber crime: the effectiveness of criminal justice system responses. Presented at Crime in Australia: international connections, Australian Institute of Criminology conference, 29-30 November, Melbourne
• Smith RG 2005. Understanding fraud reporting as an effective risk-management tool. Presented to IIR Conferences: National fraud summit, 22 March, Sydney
• Smith RG 2005. Consumer fraud research agenda. Presented at Consumer fraud prevention strategy workshop, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, 23 May, Melbourne

Capacity building

Under the new Crime Reduction and Review research program, the AIC continued to help key stakeholders build capacity to prevent and reduce crime. In addition to several studies already mentioned in the section on criminal justice responses, specific program reviews included an evaluation of the NSW Government's local crime prevention planning processes. The NSW project examined the overall quality of the plans produced and the processes used to develop and implement them, as well as measuring the general impact of the initiative on crime. More recently, the AIC was contracted to design a detailed process and outcome evaluation framework to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the WA Government's Responsible Parenting Initiative.

Capacity building initiatives range from the establishment of collaborative research and development arrangements with partner organisations and formal workshop and conference presentations. In 2004-05 the AIC entered into a two-year collaborative research and development project with the WA OCP. The project is designed to develop processes for better linking crime prevention and community safety research to strategic policy, program implementation and evaluation functions, as well as delivering professional development opportunities for both agencies. So far this initiative has resulted in the organisation of a nationally attended workshop to examine options for anticipating and responding to future crime problems in Western Australia and the commencement of a project to evaluate the impact of the WA Government's Community Safety and Crime Prevention Partnership initiative.

The AIC also entered into the second phase of a collaborative project with the Crime Prevention Division of the NSW Attorney General's Department to develop an improved crime prevention program management model. This project will develop a new policy-program framework that can be used to better connect research and evaluation evidence to crime prevention policy development and program delivery.

Police oriented reports released during the year included an evaluation of the ACT police suburban crime prevention teams, and a report that outlines the feasibility and utility of monitoring injuries in police custody. During 2004-05 the Institute also provided assistance to the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) regarding the development of a community crime and justice survey in Papua New Guinea.

The AIC has continued to provide capacity building programs on a fee-for-service basis in the area of identity-related fraud. In May 2005, two full-day workshops were conducted for managers and supervisors in universities in Queensland. These workshops dealt with identity-related fraud risks in the tertiary education sector such as fraudulent registration of students, funding fraud, plagiarism and the use of counterfeit testamurs by students and staff.

Finally, the AIC's materials on identity-related fraud were provided for use in a training initiative in Cambodia aimed at strengthening regional security through enhanced border control capacity.

An important role of the AIC is to disseminate crime reduction information and the Crime reduction matters series of monthly fact sheets continues to address important ideas and issues relevant to enhancing the effectiveness of crime reduction and prevention policies and programs.

Publications

• Homel P 2004. The whole of government approach to crime prevention. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no 287. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Homel P 2005. A short history of crime prevention in Australia. Canadian journal of criminology and criminal justice 47(2): 255-368
• Sallybanks J 2005. Monitoring injuries in police custody: a feasibility and utility study. Technical and background paper no 15. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Segrave M & Collins L 2005. Evaluation of a suburban crime prevention team. Technical and background paper no 14. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology

Presentations

• Homel P & Nutley S 2004. Reviewing the implementation of multi-faceted policy programmes: lessons from the UK. Presented at Crime Reduction Programme, ECCA conference, 4 July, Wellington, New Zealand
• Homel P 2004. Evaluating the impact of legislation in the real world. Presented at the Australian Evaluation Society/IPAA (WA Branch) seminar on evaluating public policy, 25 August, Perth
• Homel P 2004. Current issues: what works and doesn't work in crime prevention. Presented at Australian and New Zealand crime prevention practitioners' workshop, 9-10 December, Adelaide
• Homel P 2005. Joining up the pieces: what central agencies need to do to support effective local crime prevention. Presented at workshop on the implementation of local crime prevention measures, Norwegian Police Academy/Rutgers University, 7-10 May, Slavern, Norway
• Prichard J & Willis K 2004. Sporting and physical programs for youths: a crime prevention overview. Presented at Sport versus crime conference, 22-24 November, Dubai
• Putt J 2005. Violent crime: the big picture and local prevention. Presented at Northern Territory crime prevention forum, 14 February, Darwin
• Putt J 2005. Violence reduction: the need for ongoing investment in research. Presented to senior New Zealand police, 16 March, Wellington

Table 3: Summary table of 2004-05 research outputs: national monitoring programs and research projects

Programs/projects	Key outputs	Outcome/impact indicators
National monitoring programs
NHMP	3 published conference papers 1 journal article 4 presentations	Listed as an indicator of national efforts to overcome Indigenous disadvantage Probative value in court case
NFMP	4 presentations	Informs the deliberations of the APMC firearms policy working group
NARMP	1 annual report	Increased awareness amongst the public and industry groups of armed robbery characteristics and trends
DUMA	1 annual report 2 Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice papers 4 newsletters Technical workshop 7 presentations	Data cited in numerous international and national reports including the International Narcotics Control Board report Recognition of research expertise in drugs and crime through membership in national drug advisory committees
NDICP	1 annual report	Monitoring implementation and impact of various RCIADIC recommendations
NPCS	1 major report	Monitoring implementation and impact of various RCIADIC recommendations Used as indicator of progress in the APMC Reconciliation plan
NJDMP	1 major report	Annual Report on government services by the Steering Committee on Government Services uses and presents program data Used in Commonwealth Grants Commission funding process Listed as an indicator of national efforts to overcome Indigenous disadvantage Crime and justice projects Offenders and offences
DUCO	1 major report 1 Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice paper 1 presentation	Results used to inform corrections and drug policy, and inquiry into corrections
Violence associated with motor vehicle use	Input into major inquiry report 2 presentations	Informing legislative and road traffic policy reforms Increased public awareness through media coverage
Bushfire arson	1 major report 17 bushfire arson bulletins 2 roundtables 2 presentations	Media coverage of report during 2004-05 summer Stakeholder awareness of issues increased through range of products
Crime in the Australian fishing industry	1 Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice paper 2 presentations 1 roundtable	Informing key national policy fora Legislative changes
Victims and victimisation
ICVS - Australian component	1 major report 1 Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice paper	Informing policy and practice with most up to date national information on victimisation risks and on levels of reporting to police Informing policy and practice with most up to date national information on violence against women
IVAWS - Australian component	1 major report
Drink spiking	1 major report 1 journal article 2 presentations	Report currently being considered by Ministers and leading drug policy stakeholders Hansard records of Commonwealth and NSW parliaments refers to report's findings Proposed legislative changes in a number of jurisdictions Media coverage increased public awareness
Crimes against small business	2 major reports 1 Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice paper 1 journal article	Increased awareness of risks and responses amongst key stakeholders, including small business
Criminal justice responses
Criminal justice responses to adult sexual assault	1 major report 2 Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice papers 2 presentations	Informing policy and practice reforms in the criminal justice sector and amongst key support services Further funding commitment from the Office for Women
Queensland drug courts	Report submitted to Qld Department of Justice and Attorney General 3 presentations	Informed policy deliberations on the continuation of the drug courts
Specialty courts	Report submitted to CRC
Performance measurement in drug law enforcement	Due September 2005
Policing implications of illicit drug use in rural and remote Indigenous communities	Report submitted to NDLERF Board
Post release services for prisoners	1 major report	Increased awareness amongst key stakeholders across jurisdictions, of range and scale of services
Ex-prisoners, SAAP, housing and homelessness	1 major report	Increased awareness amongst key stakeholders of ex-prisoners' housing issues
Transnational and organised crime
Transnational and organised crime	1 major report 3 journal articles	Facilitated collaboration between key stakeholders Increased awareness amongst key stakeholders of TOC issues Informed law enforcement training
Economic and high tech crime
AHTCC research collaboration	1 Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice paper 9 High tech crime briefs 8 presentations	Research informed search warrant applications for policing operation against online child pornography Used for tertiary teaching and police training Raised public awareness of online child pornography
High tech crime	1 book (co-author) 3 Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice papers	Informed policy development and legislative reform (cited in Hansard) Cited in UN Congress papers Used for tertiary teaching and police training
Fraud	1 book chapter 1 Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice paper 5 presentations	Used by business for fraud risk management Used for tertiary teaching and police training Informing policy development and legislative reform
Regulation of professionals	1 major report	Informing policy development and legislative reform
Capacity building
NSW local crime prevention planning evaluation	Report provided to NSW AGD	Extension and further development and collaboration
Evaluation framework for the WA Responsible Parenting Initiative	Report provided to WA Premier's Department
Collaborative research and development project with WA OCP	1 roundtable Evaluation material provided to WA OCP	Improved planning and project frameworks by WA OCP
Collaborative project with NSW Crime Prevention Division to develop an improved crime prevention program management model	Due December 2005
Identity related fraud training	2 fee for service workshops	Informed participant organisations' policy responses to the issue
AusAID community crime and justice survey in PNG	3 technical briefings provided to AusAID	Improved research instrument

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