NCJ Number
100624
Date Published
1985
Length
40 pages
Annotation
To determine if, how, and where remand-in-custody orders are applied in Australia, police, court, and prison data were collected for 1,188 remandees whose status changed from remandee between October and November of 1984.
Abstract
The sample represents the total remand prison population for all States and territories, except Victoria and New South Wales for which selected samples were used. Considerable variation across the eight jurisdictions were found in remand rates, age of remandees, use of bail, most serious charge against remandee, level of court terminating remand (most probably a function of differences in the court systems), duration of remand, outcomes (bail, acquittal, imprisonment rates), and the most serious charge for which sentenced. Remand was most likely to be terminated by bail in Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory, but rarely in Tasmania. Durations of remand were considerably longer in the three most populous jurisdictions than in others. Finally, there was a tendency to use remand in cases for which a noncustodial sentence followed conviction in Queensland, Western and South Australia, and the Northern Territory. Contributions of demographic factors to findings is discussed, and the inadequacy of mechanisms for tracking offenders in the three most populous jurisdictions are noted. Tabular data and 4 references.