NCJ Number
50977
Date Published
1977
Length
14 pages
Annotation
EXAMPLES OF CURRENT AND RECENTLY COMPLETED AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH ON THE INCIDENCE AND OPPORTUNITY OF CRIME, JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, POLICING, THE LAW AND THE COURTS, AND CORRECTIONS ARE CITED.
Abstract
THE DISCUSSION OPENS WITH A BRIEF REVIEW OF THE HISTORY OF CRIMINOLOGY AS AN ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE IN AUSTRALIA, NOTING THE CONSIDERABLE EXPANSION OF THE FIELD THAT ACCOMPANIED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NEW SOUTH WALES BUREAU OF CRIME STATISTICS AND RESEARCH IN 1972 AND THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF CRIMINOLOGY AND THE CRIMINOLOGY RESEARCH COUNCIL IN 1973. THE PARAMETERS OF CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN AUSTRALIA ARE DISCUSSED, AND A TABLE SHOWING THE RESEARCH PROJECT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM USED BY THE COUNCIL IS PRESENTED. A REVIEW OF RESEARCH ON THE INCIDENCE AND OPPORTUNITY FOR CRIME STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPING A NATIONAL SYSTEM OF UNIFORM CRIME STATISTICS FOR AUSTRALIA. TOWARD THIS END, THE BUREAU OF STATISTICS HAS CONDUCTED A USER SURVEY TO DETERMINE THE PRECISE NEEDS OF RESEARCH WORKERS FOR STATISTICS. THE BUREAU'S 1975 VICTIMIZATION SURVEY IS NOTED, AS ARE STUDIES OF GUN OWNERSHIP, MULTIPROBLEM FAMILIES, AND SOCIAL/MEDICAL CORRELATES OF CRIME IN HIGH-CRIME NEIGHBORHOODS. OTHER RESEARCH PROJECTS CITED ARE IN THE AREAS OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY (E.G., STUDIES OF OFFENSE PATTERNS AND RECIDIVISM AMONG JUVENILES), POLICING (E.G., STUDIES OF PATROL WORKLOADS, MANPOWER PLANNING MODELS, OFFENSE-RATING SYSTEMS, AND PERSONNEL EVALUATION METHODS), AND THE LAW AND THE COURTS (INCLUDING STUDIES CONCERNED WITH SENTENCING REFORMS). AMONG CORRECTIONAL RESEARCH PROJECTS ARE AN EVALUATION OF TASMANIA'S WORK ORDER PROGRAM, A COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT PRISON MANAGEMENT STYLES, A STUDY OF THE DYNAMICS OF PRISON SOCIETY, AND ASSESSMENTS OF VARIOUS REHABILITATION TECHNIQUES. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS PROVIDED. (LKM)