New research by the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) shows that prison is no more effective in deterring domestic violence (DV) offenders than a suspended sentence. BOCSAR compared 1,612 matched pairs of DV offenders, one of whom received a prison sentence of 12 months or less and the other of whom received a...

This paper sets out the recent history of firearms offences, including the origins of the Firearms Act 1996 (NSW) in the aftermath of the Port Arthur massacre. It then outlines the distinction between non-strictly indictable and strictly indictable firearms offences, and considers the significance of that distinction on the sentencing of firearms offences. The role...

The aim of this paper is to critically engage with the idea that Therapeutic Communities (TCs) can be promoted in England and Wales as a radical alternative to prison for substance users who have broken the law. After grounding the discussion within the normative framework of an ‘abolitionist real utopia’ (Scott 2013), the article explores...

Presents information on the youth detention population in Australia, focusing on quarterly trends from June 2011 to June 2015. Summary This bulletin examines the numbers and rates of young people aged 10 and over who were in youth detention in Australia due to their involvement or alleged involvement in crime. It focuses on trends over...

Promising to set targets to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in the justice system, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten claims a young Aboriginal man of 18 is more likely to end up in jail than university.