Home → Publications → Reports → AIC annual report → 2005/06 → Part 2: Criminology Research Council

Annual report 2005/06

Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2006
ISSN 0311-449X

Download:

This section (PDF 67kB)
Full report (PDF 2.8MB)

Part 2: Criminology Research Council

Introduction

The Criminology Research Council (CRC) was established by the Criminology Research Act 1971 and is an integral part of a state, territory and Australian Government funded approach to research on criminological issues in Australia today.

The function of the CRC is to control and administer the Criminology Research Fund (the fund) and to examine and determine the relative importance and urgency of projects for which the expenditure of moneys from the fund may be authorised. The Act also provides that the functions of the AIC include advising the Council in relation to the need for, and programs of, criminological research and providing secretariat and administrative services to the Council.

The principal objectives of the CRC are to support research which is relevant to current and future public policy issues, foster the undertaking of quality criminological research and ensure that CRC-supported criminological research is disseminated effectively. It is essential to the Australian Government's effort to provide facilities for the study of the causes and effects of criminal behaviour and of means for its correction and prevention.

Since establishment, the CRC has provided a forum for attorneys-general around Australia and their representatives to assess needs in the field of criminological research and to allocate moneys from the fund to specific research projects in universities, government agencies and elsewhere. The fund itself is built up from money allocated every year by the national, state and territory governments.

In conjunction with the AIC, the CRC ensures that Australian research into criminological issues remains relevant and focused on the needs and concerns of the Australian community. The AIC coordinates research projects to be undertaken on a national basis at governmental level and advises the CRC in relation to needs for, and programs of, criminological research. Without such research, the role of the Australian Government in the vital tasks of law making and law enforcement would remain relatively uninformed and lacking in important policy insights.

Details of projects funded during the year together with summaries of completed projects received during the year are provided in the section on research projects below. Further information is available on the CRC website at http://www.aic.gov.au/crc

Reports of completed projects undertaken with Council funds are distributed to all Council members, who ensure that relevant persons and agency sections are made aware of the availability of the reports. Council members also seek expert advice from their jurisdictions on the possibility of further research and reports identified to be of interest.

Two copies of each report are lodged in the JV Barry library at the AIC. Through the library, the reports are listed on Libraries Australia, Australia's national shared cataloguing system and the largest bibliographic network in the country. With hundreds of libraries Australia-wide participating in Libraries Australia, CRC reports receive wide coverage. CRC reports are also indexed in CINCH, the Australian criminology database which is publicly available online. Reports are also available from the JV Barry library through interlibrary loan. Details of CRC funded projects, and the reports submitted in fulfillment of the projects, are posted on the CRC's website.

Under grant funding arrangements, the grantee is responsible for the distribution of the final report. Many researchers choose to publish in the form of books and journal articles, making them readily available to the broader community. They also distribute copies to appropriate departments and agencies. Finally, grantees are required to provide a draft paper suitable for publication in the AIC's Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice series.

The Council has a commitment to quality assurance, and as part of this approach seeks to create improved opportunities for publication of reports from research which it funds. The Council therefore retains the right to publish all or part of selected research products.

Governance

Enabling legislation

The Criminology Research Council was established under section 34 of the Criminology Research Act 1971 (the Act) as a body corporate. The functions of the CRC, as stated in section 40 of the Act, are:

to control and administer the Fund in accordance with Part IV and, for that purpose, to examine, and determine the relative importance and urgency of, projects for which the expenditure of moneys from the Fund may be authorised.

The CRC has one outcome: criminological research which informs the Australian Government, states and territories. This is achieved by:

consulting with Australian state and territory governments to determine research priorities
providing moneys to facilitate the conduct of, or otherwise supporting, impartial and policy relevant research
keeping key stakeholders informed of Council activities
working cooperatively with Australian state and territory government agencies and other organisations
regularly consulting with the Australian criminological community as to the activities and directions of the Council
actively disseminating research findings to policy makers, practitioners and the general public across Australia and overseas.

The CRC's sole output is criminological research grants.

The Council

The Council consists of nine members who represent the Australian Government, the states and the territories. This composition ensures that areas targeted for research funding reflect both national and state/territory priorities. The Australian Government representative is appointed by the Attorney-General; state and territory representatives are appointed by the Attorney-General on the nomination of the responsible state or territory minister.

During the year members of the Council were as follows:

Table 1 : CRC as at 30 June 2006
Jurisdiction	Member	Appointed	Resigned
ACT	Mr Timothy Keady, Chief Executive, Department of Justice and Community Safety	03.07.03
Australian Government	Ms Joanne Blackburn, First Assistant Secretary, Criminal Justice Division, Attorney-General's Department	10.12.04
NSW	Mr Laurie Glanfield (Chair), Director-General, Attorney General's Department	30.07.91
NT	Mr Richard Coates, Chief Executive Officer, Department of Justice	19.9.02
Qld	Mr Terrence Ryan, Director, Strategic Policy, Department of Justice and Attorney-General	24.05.04
SA	Mr Timothy Goodes, Director, Justice Strategy Division, Attorney-General's Department	01.12.05
Tas	Mr Norman Reaburn, Director, Legal Aid Commission of Tasmania	09.10.00
Vic	Ms Penny Armytage, Secretary, Department of Justice	19.06.03
WA	Vacant
Terms completed
SA	Mr Terry Evans, Deputy Chief Executive, Attorney-General's Department and Department of Justice	27.01.05	01.12.05
Notes
Mr Colin Murphy attended the CRC meetings as an observer for Western Australia this financial year.
There was an 89 percent attendance rate by Australian government, state and territory representatives of the CRC for this financial year.

Table 2 : CRC deputy members as at 30 June 2006
Jurisdiction	Deputy member	Appointed
ACT	Ms Elizabeth Kelly, Acting Chief Executive, Department of Justice and Community Safety	16.02.04
Australian Government	Dr Dianne Heriot, Assistant Secretary, Community Safety and Justice Branch, Attorney-General's Department	19.09.02
NSW	Vacant
NT	Mr Allan Van Zyl, Senior Policy Officer, Department of Justice	13.04.05
Qld	Mr Mark Pathe, Principal Policy Officer, Strategic Policy, Department of Justice and Attorney-General	26.07.04
SA	Ms Joy Wundersitz, Director, Office of Crime Statistics and Research, Attorney-General's Department	28.02.06
Tas	Mr Peter Maloney, Director, Legislation Policy, Department of Justice	08.08.00
Vic	Mr Neil Robertson, Director, Criminal Law Policy, Department of Justice	11.02.05
WA	Vacant

The Council does not employ administrative staff members but provides a fee to the AIC to provide secretariat and administrative services for the Council. These include the provision of internal auditing of the Council's activities as well as participation in the AIC's internal governance structure which is designed to ensure compliance with statutory and other external requirements aimed at achieving best practice in administrative and financial management.

Dr Russell G Smith, Principal Criminologist at the AIC, was academic adviser to the Council throughout the year, Ms Kathy Mildren was CRC administrator until 27 January 2006, and Ms Lyndal Spear has been CRC administrator since 6 March 2006.

Activities

National research priorities and impact of CRC funded research

Research funded by the Council addresses the national research priorities in a number of ways. Priority area 4, safeguarding Australia, is of particular relevance and specifically the third goal of protecting Australia from terrorism and crime. Research has improved the evidence base for policy and practice, and public awareness of major types of offending, victimisation risk factors and effective measures to reduce and prevent crime.

Examples of key impacts of CRC funded research include:

the documentation and validation of ways in which efficiencies can be achieved in law enforcement agencies particularly with respect to interviewing practices
understanding the cost-effectiveness of Queensland Police Service's Operational Performance Review strategy
comprehension of the importance of early intervention in preventing crime
understanding how police cautioning can be an efficient way in which to respond to first time offenders and may even serve to deter some young people form further offending
the identification of ways of improving the health of prisoners both before and after release from prison
documentation of the history and evaluation research concerning specialty courts in Australia
understanding the factors associated with differential remand rates in Victoria and South Australia to improve bail decision making.

Meetings

The Council meets three times a year and dedicates the meetings to the following specific issues:

March/April - establish Council strategies and priorities for the forthcoming year
July - target specific areas for consultancies and strategic development
November - allocate general grants.

The meeting held on 27 July 2005 was convened at the AIC in Canberra. The meeting held on 25 November 2005 was convened in Adelaide. The meeting held on 6 April 2006 was convened at the AIC in Canberra.

At the meeting on 6 April 2006, Mr Laurie Glanfield AM was unanimously re-elected chair of the Council. At this meeting, the CRC confirmed its decision to elect its representatives from New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia as members of the board of management of the AIC.

Consultation

The CRC relies heavily on the work of Australia's academic community. The Council sees a strong and positive dialogue with the academic community as crucial and accordingly convenes a biennial consultation meeting with a number of key Australian academics in criminology. The Council's latest consultation meeting was convened on 6 April 2006 at the Australian Institute of Criminology in Canberra. Present at this meeting were ten senior academic researchers from around Australia and a further eight policy analysts from state and territory criminal justice agencies. Each two years a different group of academics and policy advisers is assembled with representatives chosen from differing levels as well as differing methodological traditions. The meeting allowed for a frank exchange of views between the academic and policy community and the Council members present which the Council will use in developing its future research agenda.

Appreciation

The Council wishes to express its appreciation to Dr Russell G Smith, academic adviser to the Council; panel members Associate Professor Anna Stewart and Professor Paul Mazerolle; Dr Damon Muller, CRC Fellow; and staff members of the Australian Institute of Criminology. At its meeting in April 2006, members of Council expressed their appreciation for the long-standing support and work for the Council of the former Administrator, Ms Kathy Mildren, who after eight years with the Council had resigned on 27 January 2006 to take up a position with the Australian Government Attorney-General's Department.

Freedom of information

This statement is provided in accordance with section 8 of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act). It refers to the structure of the CRC and the categories of documents it holds, with information as to how access can be made.

Categories of documents

internal papers and records, including working drafts, statistical records, copies of facsimiles, interagency and general correspondence, and policy documents and reports (including recommendations and decisions)
briefing papers and submissions prepared for the Attorney-General, ministerial correspondence and replies to parliamentary questions
scoping papers, records of consultations, statistical data holdings, and publications
finance, establishment, personnel, recruitment, staff development, office services and funded research and consultancy files.

FOI requests during 2005-06

The Council received no requests for information under the provisions of the Act during the year ending 30 June 2006.

FOI requests can be made in writing to the General Manager, Corporate Services, Australian Institute of Criminology, GPO Box 2944, Canberra, ACT 2601.

Criminology Research Fund

Contributions to the Criminology Research Fund by the participating governments for the 2005-06 financial year totaled $483,001. In the 2005-06 Portfolio budget statement, the total Australian Government appropriation for the CRC was $0.309 million. The Council has one budget outcome: criminological research which informs the Australian Government, states and territories. The appropriation to the CRC was to meet 'administered' costs for the single government outcome. Each state and territory made contributions on a pro-rata population basis, individual contributions being as follows:

State/Territory	$
New South Wales	58,190
Victoria	43,047
Queensland	33,651
Western Australia	17,170
South Australia	13,253
Tasmania	4,168
Australian Capital Territory	2,796
Northern Territory	1,726

Details of expenditure and income are shown in the financial statements at the end of this report.

Funding criteria

The Guidelines for grants issued by the Council with application forms for grants, state that the criteria adopted by the Council in consideration of applications include the following:

public policy relevance
the extent to which the proposed research will have practical application and contribute to the understanding, prevention or correction of criminal behaviour
the likelihood of the proposed research making a substantial and original contribution to criminological knowledge
the cost effectiveness of the research
the soundness of the design and methodology and the feasibility of the research
the competence of the applicant(s) or principal investigator(s) to undertake the proposed research
Ethics Committee approval, where appropriate
availability of data, where required
the extent of funding or in-kind support obtained from relevant agencies.

A panel comprising two senior criminologists (selected by the Council from recommendations by the President of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology) considers applications for general grants. The panel this year comprised Associate Professor Anna Stewart and Professor Paul Mazerolle. The panel discusses their views regarding applications with the academic adviser to the Council, Dr Russell G Smith, who then prepares final recommendations to the CRC for consideration at the November meeting.

Research projects

New projects

The Council considered 45 grant applications at the general grants meeting held on 25 November 2005, of which three were approved.

Particulars of approved grants are as follows:

CRC 06/05-06: Adolescent stalking: offence characteristics and effectiveness of criminal justice interventions - Dr Teresa Flower, Dr Rosemary Purcell and Professor Paul Mullen, Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health. The CRC made a grant of $66,803 (GST inclusive) for this project.

The project will analyse 5-year data from the Melbourne Children's Court of applications for Intervention Orders (IOs) involving adolescents accused of stalking activities. The research will assess the nature of adolescent stalking, factors that differentiate successful from unsuccessful IO applications and the effectiveness of IOs in this population. The result will provide the first indication of factors that motivate adolescent stalking and will assist the design of early intervention strategies that reduce stalking violence.
CRC 35/05-06: A population based study examining the impact of interpersonal violence victimisation on mental health - Dr Lynn Meuleners, Associate Professor Andy Lee and Ms Delia Hendrie, Curtin University. The CRC made a grant of $90,249.50 (GST inclusive) for this project.

This study aims to investigate the size and nature of interpersonal violence victimisation; to describe the association between interpersonal violence and specific mental disorders and to assess the impact of interpersonal violence on people with mental illness; and to quantify the health system costs of interpersonal violence and the share accounted for by people with mental illness. Findings will assist the development of effective interventions to reduce the health and social impact of interpersonal violence.
CRC 39/05-06: Parents as prisoners: maintaining the parent-child relationship - Dr Rosemary Sheehan and Mr Gregory Levine, Monash University. The CRC made a grant of $47,264.84 (GST inclusive) for this project.

The aims of the project are threefold: to identify the extent to which children involved in child protection proceedings have parents who are incarcerated, recently in prison or awaiting sentencing; to examine the case histories of these children to discover what factors impact on stability of care; and to explore the impact of parental imprisonment and how the court and welfare systems should respond to these children's special circumstances.

Research in progress

Risk factors and treatment outcomes in intra-familial adolescent sex offenders - Associate Professor Jan Grant, Dr David Indermaur, Dr Jenny Thornton, Mrs Christabel Chamarette and Mrs Sue DeSouza, Curtin University of Technology, CRC 05/03-04. The CRC made a grant of $162,846.20 (GST inclusive) for this project.
The extent and impact of money laundering in and through Australia and the region in 2003 - Mr Neil Jensen, Mr John Walker, Mr John Van Groningen, Mr Gavin Brown and Mr Michael Benes, Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC), CRC 33/03-04. The CRC made a grant of $87,120.00 (GST inclusive) for this project.
The impact of penalty severity on juvenile recidivism - Dr Don Weatherburn and Mr Neil Donnelly, New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, CRC 02/04-05. The CRC made a grant of $340,686.50 (GST inclusive) for this project.
Preventive detention for 'dangerous' offenders in Australia: a critical analysis and proposals for policy development - Professor Bernadette McSherry, Professor Arie Freiberg and Associate Professor Patrick Keyzer, CRC 03/04-05. The CRC made a grant of $69,166.90 (GST inclusive) for this project.
Getting the story in forensic interviews with child witnesses - Dr Pamela Snow and Professor Martine Powell, Monash University, CRC 04/04-05. The CRC made a grant of $32,444.50 (GST inclusive) for this project.
The relation between psychological adjustment and post-release challenges to community reintegration for ex-prisoners: development of a multi-variable reintegration model - Associate Professor Joe Graffam, Ms Alison Shinkfield and Dr Stephen Mihailides, CRC 14/04-05. The CRC made a grant of $51,337.00 (GST inclusive) for this project.
An investigation into serious violence associated with motor vehicle use: 'Is "road rage" a valid or useful construct?' - Dr Andrew Carroll and Professor James Ogloff, Monash University, CRC 18/04-05. The CRC made a grant of $15,785.00 (GST inclusive) for this project.
The young adult outcomes of childhood and adolescent antisocial behaviour: an Australian cohort - Professor Jake Najman, Dr William Bor, Dr Michael O'Callaghan, Professor Gail Williams and Ms Tara McGee, University of Queensland, CRC 27/04-05. The CRC made a grant of $62,089.50 (GST inclusive) for this project.
Schizophrenia and offending: area of residence and the impact of social disorganisation and disadvantage - Mr Frank Morgan, Ms Vera Morgan, Professor Assen Jablensky, Ms Anna Ferrante and Ms Guilietta Valuri, University of Western Australia, CRC 30/04-05. The CRC made a grant of $46,127.40 (GST inclusive) for this project.

Reports of completed research

The Council received five reports of completed research projects during the year.

Summaries of completed research

The summaries of the research projects completed in 2005-06 are given below.

Pathways to prevention: evaluation of an early intervention crime prevention program - Dr Kate Freiberg and Professor Ross Homel, Griffith University, CRC 27/01-02.

Pathways to Prevention is a multi-faceted early intervention program undertaken with preschool children, their families and schools within an economically disadvantaged urban community in Queensland. The program was designed to reduce early risk factors for adolescent involvement in crime. The program combines school based programs that aim to enhance children's social and communication skills and their readiness for school and to promote equitable home-school partnerships that empower parents to participate actively in their children's education, with family support programs that aim to promote social networks, positive parenting, and healthy family relationships. Main outcomes of the evaluation of the program include:
- high levels of parent satisfaction with family based programs
- relatively greater levels of improvement in oral language skills within preschool classes who participated in the Pathways preschool program compared with classes who received a standard preschool curriculum
- a greater reduction in behavioural difficulties within preschool classes who participated in the Pathways preschool program compared with other preschool classes receiving a standard preschool curriculum
- a greater improvement in pro-social behaviour in preschool classes participating in the Pathways school based programs compared with other preschool classes receiving a standard preschool curriculum
- children who participated in the Pathways social skills program showed greater improvement than the non-intervention group on a cognitive measure of planning and problem-solving ability
- lower levels of academic difficulties in Year 1 recorded for children who had participated in the Pathways preschool programs in the year before starting formal schooling, than for Year 1 children who had not participated in the Pathways preschool program.
Higher levels of family participation in Pathways family programs were generally associated with greater ratings of school readiness by preschool teachers.
A study of morbidity in WA prisoners after release from gaol - Professor Michael Hobbs, Dr Ralph Chapman, Ms Louise Stewart and Mr Steve Ridout, University of Western Australia, CRC 19/02-03.

The Western Australian Data Linkage System (WADLS) was used to determine the relative and absolute risk of death or hospital admission or contact with the Mental Health Services (MHS) in approximately 14,000 prisoners released from prison in the period 1995-2001 and followed up for a minimum of two years after first release (mean follow-up of 4.6 years). After adjustment for age, gender and Indigenous status, released prisoners had substantially higher risks of death and hospital admission or contact with MHS after first release than the general population. They also had high rates of hospital admission and contacts with MHS before imprisonment that were strongly predictive of the use of such services after release, and which suggest that many of the health problems of prisoners are of long standing. There were strong similarities between causes of death and hospitalisation. Suicide, drug and alcohol related deaths, accidental poisoning and transport related deaths were the leading causes of death and the principal reasons for hospital admission or contact with MHS before and after release. In general, Indigenous prisoners had worse health outcomes than non-Indigenous prisoners and female prisoners had worse outcomes than male prisoners. Female non-Indigenous prisoners had a particularly high risk of death, as found in studies elsewhere. It is likely that this is related to the use of illicit drugs soon after release. The study has several implications for policy relating to the health of prisoners both before and after release from prison. These include: measures to meet the particular health needs of female and Indigenous prisoners; implementation of programs for the long term management of chronic disease (particularly mental disorders); and improved release planning to ensure continuity of health care.
An investigation into the effective and ethical interviewing of suspected sex offenders - Associate Professor Mark Kebbell and Professor Paul Mazerolle, Griffith University, CRC 12/03-04.

Sex offences are difficult to investigate and prosecute. Conviction rates are low unless a suspect confesses, in which case a conviction is highly likely. Consequently, attempting to obtain confessions from guilty sex offenders is a worthwhile endeavour. The research used a multifaceted-approach to investigate what factors influence suspects' decisions to confess or deny sexual offences. One group of 19 convicted sex offenders was interviewed concerning why they confessed or denied their offence, and another group of 44 were surveyed concerning their experience of being interviewed by the police and how they believed the police should interview to maximise the likelihood of a guilty sex offender confessing. Police officers were also questioned concerning how they believed suspected sex offenders should be interviewed to facilitate confessions with guilty suspects. An experimental model was created to test different evidence presenting strategies. Taken together, the results of these studies suggest that police officers potentially have considerable influence on suspects' decisions to confess or deny. Evidence plays a critical role in suspects' decisions to confess or deny and should be conscientiously collected, familiarised and presented to a suspect in a convincing way to increase the likelihood of a confession. Similarly, offenders state that they are more likely to confess to police officers adopting a fair, professional, compassionate, understanding, non-aggressive and honest approach. This is a view shared by many police officers experienced in the interviewing of suspected sex offenders.
Operational performance reviews: the impact on crime in Queensland - Associate Professor Lorraine Mazerolle, Griffith University, CRC 22/03-04.

Final Report (released 5 June 2006): The impact of operational performance reviews (OPRs) on reported crime in Queensland. http://www.aic.gov.au/crc/reports/200304-22.html

Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no. 313 (released 5 June 2006): The impact of operational performance reviews on reported crime in Queensland. http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/tandi2/tandi313.html

This project evaluates the impact of Queensland Police Service's version of COMPSTAT known as Operational Performance Reviews (OPRs). The study examines the impact of OPRs on reported crime in Queensland and assesses whether or not the OPRs have led to any crime reductions across the 29 police districts in Queensland. The introduction of OPRs was found to be associated with a significant decrease in the total number of reported offences in Queensland. The mixed model analysis of the impact of OPRs on total reported crime suggests that there are major differences between districts, that some of the districts are driving the overall state-wide crime reductions, while others are confounding the positive effects of implementation of OPRs in Queensland. The overall cost-effectiveness of OPRs suggests that the introduction of OPRs appears to have been cost-effective, resulting in an overall saving of $1,162,175.
Patterns of substance use, overdose and recidivism among recently released prisoners in Queensland - Dr Stuart Kinner, Professor Jakob Najman, Ms Jane Fischer and Ms Angela Bates, University of Queensland, CRC 27/03-04.

Prisoners as a group are characterised by chronic social disadvantage, poor mental health, high rates of substance use, a high rate of recidivism and increased rates of both fatal and non-fatal overdose post-release. Nevertheless, little is known about patterns of substance use or other risk factors among recently released prisoners. Using a prospective design, 108 male and 52 female prisoners in Queensland participated in interviews prior to release from custody, then one and four months post-release. Interviews explored patterns of drug use prior to, during and after incarceration, socioeconomic status, physical and mental health, medical treatment, overdose risk factors and other risk-taking behaviour. The findings highlighted both the high prevalence and the chronicity of substance misuse, mental health problems and psychosocial impairment among prisoners and ex-prisoners, and provided further evidence of a link between substance misuse and poor outcomes (including recidivism) post-release. Consistent with a growing number of studies worldwide, these findings point to an urgent need for adequately funded, evidence based post-release services for prisoners.

Consultancies

The Council's funds may be disseminated through the research grants program as well as a consultancy program. For its consultancies, the Council identifies topics of policy importance for research and then develops proposals which are publicly advertised. These consultancies are designed to meet highly specific objectives to which the Council has accorded priority. Such research, for example, could be designed to contribute to, or complement, the work of national initiatives by other organisations, or state/territory initiatives which have clear policy or good practice implications for other governments within Australia. Recent consultancy research projects are as follows:

Ongoing consultancies

Practices, policies and procedures that affect juror satisfaction in Australia.

A consortium led by the University of NSW was awarded this consultancy. The research objectives of the study are to examine the attitudes and beliefs of empanelled and potential jurors towards the roles and responsibilities of jurors. The research is being conducted in New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia, with the assistance of the courts in each of those jurisdictions. The project commenced in June 2006 and extends for 12 months.

The identification of mental disorders in the criminal justice system - Professor James Ogloff.

The Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health was awarded this project. The research objectives of the study are to delineate the most effective methods for measuring mental disorders among offenders, to summarise the methods used in Australia to measure mental disorders among offenders, to understand how those methods affect the implementation of law enforcement, judgement, custody and treatment of offenders and the policy implications which follow from these findings. The project is expected to be completed in the second half of 2006.

Consultancies completed in the past financial year

The use of multiple social services among chronically offending youth, stage 1 - Jayne Marshall and Joy Wundersitz.

Stage 1 of this consultancy demonstrated that the relationship between chronic offending and multiple services use has important implications for juvenile offenders, the community, social services and criminal justice. The report for this consultancy was completed in November 2005 and although further research in this area was considered by the Council, methodological and data availability limitations prevented further research from being undertaken.

Specialty courts in Australia - Jason Payne.

Final report (released 28 June 2006): Specialty courts in Australia: report to the Criminology Research Council. http://www.aic.gov.au/crc/reports/2005-07-payne/

Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no. 317 (released 28 June 2006): Specialty courts: current issues and future prospects. http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/tandi2/tandi317.html

The reasons individual offenders engage in criminal activity are numerous and varied. Three key priority areas have emerged in recent years - reducing crime related to drug dependency and mental health, reducing the over-representation of Indigenous offenders and reducing the incidence of domestic violence. Policy makers and criminal justice practitioners have recently responded with the development of specialty courts designed to tackle specific problem behaviour and associated issues. This paper examines the history and development of the specialty court concept in Australia. It shows that the programs, although having the same overall aim of reducing reoffending, have significantly different structures as they attempt to deal with very different problems. This paper also reviews the key evaluations of specialty court programs conducted to date. To understand what works and what doesn't, long term assessment and evaluations are required of all specialty courts.

Factors that influence remand in custody - Sue King, David Bamford and Rick Sarre.

Final report (released 22 May 2006): Factors that influence remand in custody: final report to the Criminology Research Council. http://www.aic.gov.au/crc/reports/2005-11-remand.html

Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no. 310 (released: 22 May 2006): Remand in custody: critical factors and key issues. http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/tandi2/tandi310.html

Between 1984 and 2004 the proportion of remanded prisoners rose from 12 to 20 percent of the total prisoner population and the rate of prisoners remanded into custody tripled. In an attempt to identify the factors associated with high and low remand rates, the researchers undertook a detailed study of Victoria (which has comparatively low remand rates) and South Australia (which has comparatively high remand rates). Factors associated with increased remand rates included increasing levels of drug and mental health issues, and the informal and formal rules that influence police, police custody sergeants and court bail authorities in their decision to grant bail. Factors associated with lower remand rates included enhanced police accountability for bail refusal, improved feedback loops between courts and police, higher transaction costs for custodial remand, and longer bail hearings. The authors have concluded that the key to good practice in bail decision making is to ensure that pre-court and non-judicial processes are given due consideration, and they point to the need for enhanced performance monitoring, data collection and research.

Criminology Research Council Research Fellow

The Council funds a research fellow, who is located within the AIC and undertakes research at the direction of the Council. Dr Damon Muller, was appointed to the position for a two year period and commenced duty on 28 June 2005.

Dr Muller produced the following summary reviews/reports/papers for Council in addition to assisting in the development of the Council's research activities:

a research proposal on juror satisfaction in Australia
a scoping paper on the diversion of Indigenous young people from the criminal justice system
a paper, Diversion of Indigenous young people from the criminal justice system, presented at the Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology conference in Hobart in February 2006
a scoping paper on the use of judicial mediation and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in Australia
a scoping paper on rape myths and jurors in sexual assault trials.

Next section: AIC financial statements (PDF 800kB)
Previous section: CRC letter of transmittal (PDF 67kB)
Contents