Conviction and Sentencing of Offenders in New Zealand: 1990 to 1999

• NCJ Number: 187814
• Author(s): Philip Spier
• Date Published: 2000
• Length: 175 pages
• Corporate Author: New Zealand Ministry of Justice
• Sale Source: New Zealand Ministry of Justice
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: New Zealand

Annotation

This report provides data and information on trends in prosecutions, convictions, and sentencing of offenders in New Zealand for the 10-year period 1990 to 1999, using data extracted from the Law Enforcement System; trends over the decade in the number of 14-16 year-olds apprehended by the police, as well as in offending by juveniles that resulted in a court appearance are also examined; trends in the use of bail and in offending while on bail are also presented for the period 1993 to 1997.

Abstract

Regarding prosecutions, in the second half of the 1990's there was an average of 270,000 criminal prosecutions each year, with the figure in 1999 being 266,042. The police diversion scheme had a significant impact on the outcomes of prosecutions over the decade. The number of discharges without conviction under Section 19 of the Criminal Justice Act 1985 has shown an increasing trend over the decade, with the number in 1999 being 75 percent greater than in 1990. Data on convictions encompass violent offenses, property offenses, drug offenses, offenses against the administration of justice, offenses against good order, and traffic offenses. Data are also provided on the gender, ethnicity, and age of those convicted. Violent-offense prosecutions are the least likely (54 percent) and traffic-offense prosecutions are the most likely (81 percent) to result in conviction. Sentencing data address custodial sentences and remands, community-based sentences, and monetary penalties. Throughout the 1990's, 7 percent to 8 percent of people convicted each year received a custodial sentence. The average custodial sentence length imposed for all offenses increased over the decade from 10.1 months in 1990 to 13.4 months in 1999. Court statistics on juveniles show an increasing trend through the 1990's in the number of juvenile cases that received formal court proceedings. Data on bail indicate that 17 percent of those on bail charged with a violent offense in 1997 offended while on bail. Extensive tables and figures and 10 references