NCJ Number
201081
Date Published
April 2003
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This study assessed some of the major costs for a range of criminal offenses in Australia.
Abstract
Data on crime came from the most recent Crime and Safety Survey (1999), which provided victimization statistics. The most careful estimates of crimes costs focused on homicide, assault, sexual assault, robbery, burglary, vehicle theft, and shoplifting. Less attention was given to theft from vehicles, criminal damage, and other theft and handling stolen goods. For drug offenses, fraud, and arson, some overall costs were determined. For offense types, cost analysis addressed the medical costs for victims, lost output of victims, intangible costs (monetary value for pain, suffering, and lost quality of life), and the transfer of resources from victim to offender. Other costs estimated were criminal justice system costs, the costs of victim assistance, security costs, the cost of household precautions against crime, insurance costs, the lost productivity of prisoners, and government expenditure on crime prevention. The cost of crime for the period studied was nearly $32 billion, with 40 percent of this cost being for the criminal justice system and private security. The cost of property stolen or damaged, medical costs, lost output, and intangible costs amounted to $19 billion. Suggestions for conducting future crime-cost estimates are offered. 4 tables and 19 references