NCJ Number
243944
Date Published
May 2013
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This study from the New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research examined whether participation in the CREDIT (Court Referral of Eligible Defendants into Treatment) program reduced an offender's risk of re-offending.
Abstract
This study examined whether participation in New South Wales' CREDIT (Court Referral of Eligible Defendants into Treatment) program affected an offender's risk of recidivism. The study found that there was no significant difference risk of re-offending between offenders who participated in the CREDIT program and those offenders that did not receive the extra services. The study also found that participation in the program did not affect the number of court re-appearances within 12 months or the time to the first proven re-offense. Data for the study were obtained from two sources: the CREDIT database and the Re-Offending database maintained by the BOCSAR (Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research). Defendants in the CREDIT database were who received a referral to the CREDIT program between August 2009 and June 2011 were cross-referenced to the Re-Offending database to determine incidences of re-offending for the period ending September 30, 2012. The data was analyzed to determine the effect that referral to the CREDIT program had on re-offending outcomes. The findings suggest that participation in the CREDIT program had no significant effect on re-offending outcomes when compared to standard court processes. Study limitations are discussed. Tables, figures, notes, references, and appendix