This research project, commissioned in response to police requests for information, investigated the extent of Indigenous drug use in rural and remote areas, and the harms identified with this drug use. The paper discusses police perception of use, supply of illicit drugs, community perception of harms, police perception of harms, and contribution to crime of...

In this report Jacqueline Joudo and Marissa Veld provide an overview of the characteristics of the 67 deaths in police or prison custody in Australia in 2004, including Indigenous status. They also present an analysis of prison deaths since 1980 and police custody deaths since 1990. For the first time details are also given of...

A mock sexual assault jury trial research project investigated whether the impact of adult sexual assault complainant testimony on juror perceptions and decisions differed if presented via CCTV, pre-recorded videotape or face-to-face in the courtroom. Natalie Taylor and Jacqueline Joudo also investigated the impact of emotional versus neutral testimony. Eighteen mock trials were held in...

Jeremy Prichard and Jason Payne surveyed 370 young people in juvenile detention centres around Australia with the aim of understanding their offending patterns, links with drug and alcohol use, and risk factors. Their study confirms that young people in detention have extensive offending and drug use histories, and experience patterns of abuse, neglect, and family...

Tony Krone reports the experience of Queensland police in the investigation of predatory behaviour by men seeking sex with children through online chat rooms. The results of his study show the aggressive and rapid way that children are targeted: in 76 per cent of cases the suspect was arrested for an offence within one month...