Prison population forecasting is fraught with difficulty. Many factors affect the size of the prison population, including levels of crime, the number of arrests, the proportion of arrestees convicted, the proportion refused bail, the proportion given a prison sentence, the average length of prison sentences, the proportion of offenders released to parole at the end...

This paper argues that regulatory authorities should be concerned about increases in liquor outlet density. Abstract Aim: To investigate the relationship between liquor licence concentrations and assault rates in Local Government Areas (LGAs) in New South Wales. Method: Police, liquor licensing and socio-demographic data were analysed. Spatial regression analyses were conducted to measure associations between...

Aim: To assess whether the NSW Alcohol-MERIT program improves the health and wellbeing of defendants. Method: Before their participation in the Alcohol-MERIT program, the health and wellbeing of 123 defendants was measured using the SF-36, Kessler-10 psychological distress scale and the SADQ for alcohol dependence level. These defendants were then followed-up two and six months...

Aim: The Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (MSIC) opened in Kings Cross in May 2001. This paper examines whether there have been: (i) increases in the volume of robbery, theft and illicit drug offences in Kings Cross Local Area Command (LAC) up until December 2012 or; (ii) increases in the percentage of Kings Cross illicit drug...

This study aimed to determine whether being referred to the Court Referral of Eligible Defendants into Treatment (CREDIT) pilot program reduces re-offending. Method: Using propensity score matching, adult defendants referred to the CREDIT program, who had their matter finalised in court by 30 June 2011, were matched to control defendants on a large number of...