NCJ Number
190691
Date Published
March 2001
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This bulletin provides new information on the overrepresentation of indigenous persons in the New South Wales (Australia) court system and on the offense profile and penalties imposed on indigenous and nonindigenous offenders.
Abstract
Because substantial improvements had been made to the range of court data available on indigenous defendants in New South Wales, for the first time a report could provide a "snapshot" of indigenous overrepresentation in the New South Wales court system in 1999. These data included various stages of the court system from court appearance, to conviction, through to sentencing. The study then examined in more depth any overrepresentation at the conviction and sentencing stages, considering the offense profile and the penalties imposed on convicted indigenous and non-indigenous offenders. The report concludes with a discussion of the scope for reducing indigenous imprisonment rates. The findings showed that the overrepresentation of indigenous persons stemed initially from their higher rate of appearance at court, but was amplified at the point of sentencing, with indigenous offenders sentenced to imprisonment at almost twice the rate of non-indigenous persons. The violent nature of the offenses for which indigenous persons were convicted, along with the greater likelihood of their having prior convictions were found to contribute to their higher rate of imprisonment. The findings suggested that the greatest leverage for reducing indigenous imprisonment rates lies in reducing the rate at which indigenous persons appeared in court, rather than in reducing the rate at which convicted offenders were sentenced to imprisonment. This would mean not only diverting indigenous defendants away from court, but also reducing the rate at which indigenous persons are arrested by using alternatives to arrest and reducing the rate at which they offend or reoffend. 6 tables, 6 figures, and 32 notes