Summary
Aim
This study explored patterns of re-offending among New South Wales (NSW) offenders released to parole supervision in the 2001-2002 financial year.
Abstract
This study explored patterns of re-offending among New South Wales (NSW) offenders released to parole supervision in the 2001-2002 financial year (n=2793). The study found that by September 2004 approximately two-thirds of the cohort had reappeared in court, 64 percent had been convicted for a new offence and 41 per cent of the cohort had received a further custodial sentence for re-offending. Survival analyses revealed that the following groups re-offended more quickly: offenders who had a greater number of prior custodial sentences, offenders who had one or more prior drug convictions (i.e. for use or possession of heroin, cocaine or amphetamine), younger offenders, Indigenous offenders, those who had been released with a parole order issued by a court (as opposed to the NSW Parole Authority), offenders who had spent less time in custody during their index custody episode and those who had been serving sentences for violence, property crimes or for breaching justice orders.