Author: Lulham, Rohan
Title: The Recidivism of Offenders Given Suspended Sentences: A Comparison with Full-Time Imprisonment
Summary: Between 2000 and 2007, the number of suspended sentences imposed by the New South Wales Local Court rose 300 percent, from 1,704 to 5,172. In 2000, suspended sentences accounted for about one percent of all penalties imposed by the Local Court. By 2007, this figure had risen to 4.6 percent. One issue of contention is whether suspended sentences have the same deterrent effect on re-offending as prison sentences. This study compares rates of re-offending among offenders who received suspended sentences with rates of re-offending among a matched control group who received a full-time prison sentence. For offenders with no prior prison sentence, there was no statistically significant difference in re-offending between offenders who received a suspended sentence and those who received a prison sentence. Among offenders who had previously been to prison, however, those who received a prison sentence re-offended substantially quicker than those who received a suspended sentence. The study concludes that there is no evidence full-time imprisonment exerts a greater deterrent effect than a suspended sentence of imprisonment.
Details: Sydney: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 2009. 16p.
Source: Crime and Justice Bulletin; Contemporary Issues in Crime and Justice, No. 136
Year: 2009
Country: Australia
URL:
Shelf Number: 118548
Keywords:
ImprisonmentRecidivismSentencingSuspended Sentences (Australia) |
