NCJ Number
208133
Date Published
November 2004
Length
196 pages
Annotation
This annual report provides information on the trends in the prosecution, conviction, and sentencing of offenders from 1994 to 2003 in New Zealand.
Abstract
Published annually, this New Zealand report examines trends in prosecution, convictions, and sentencing over a 10-year period, from 1994 to 2003. In addition, explanations are given for any changes which have occurred where reasons for the change were known. Data for the report were obtained from the Case Monitoring Subsystem of the Law Enforcement System and the data used for the report related to charges and cases finalized between 1994 and 2003. Report information is presented in the areas of prosecutions, convictions, sentencing, and statistics on young offenders. Report highlights include: (1) the total number of criminal prosecutions in 2003 (274,627) was the highest recorded since 1996; (2) the number of discharges without conviction increased by 70 percent over the decade; (3) the total number of charges resulting in conviction for violent offenses showed a decreasing trend between 1995 and 2002; (4) the total number of convictions for violent sex offenses peaked at 2,084 in 1996, but since then, has averaged just over 1,500 annually; (5) through the 10-year reporting time, 7 to 9 percent of people convicted each year received a custodial (prison) sentence, with the proportion being marginally higher each year since 1997; (6) the average custodial sentence length imposed for all offenses increased over the decade from 12.9 months in 1994 to 16.0 months in 2003; (7) most 14 to 16 year olds who were apprehended for criminal offending were dealt with by means other than formal prosecution in court; and (8) the number of 14 to 16 year olds apprehended for violent offenses increased by 33 percent since 1994, with the figure for 2003, 3,166, being the highest recorded during this time period. Tables, figures, and appendixes 1-5