Summary
Aim
This bulletin presents trends in sentencing and bail outcomes for a number of major offence categories over the period 1993 to 2007 in NSW Higher and Local Courts.
Abstract
This bulletin presents trends in sentencing and bail outcomes for a number of major offence categories over the period 1993 to 2007 in NSW Higher and Local Courts. There was a statistically significant upward trend in the proportion of defendants 'refused bail' in NSW Higher Courts for all of the offence categories examined. The trend in the proportion of convicted offenders sentenced to prison in the Higher Courts also increased for eight out of the ten offence categories, while the trend in average length of imprisonment rose for four of the ten offence categories. 'Fraud' was the only category for which the average length of imprisonment decreased over the study period. In NSW Local Courts, the proportion of defendants refused bail in all 11 offence categories rose significantly between 1993 and 2007. The proportion of offenders sentenced to prison in NSW Local Courts increased significantly for eight out of the 11 offence categories, while the average length of imprisonment rose for nine of the 11 offence categories.