PART 7: OFFENDERS AND OFFENDING - Part II
OFFENDERS AND OFFENDING
Offending while on bail
RESEARCH
Done by: Department of Justice
Funded by: Department of Justice
Method: Quantitative study
Status: Completed
PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
Title: Offending while on bail
Author(s): Lash, Barb and Francis Luketina
Completed: YES, 1990
Availability: Wellington: Department of Justice, July 1990. ISBN 0-477-07608-4
Description: This study looks at 3,850 cases in five court districts in which bail was granted at some stage of proceedings. On average 14% of those persons who were bailed offended while on bail. Key predictors of whether a person was more likely to offend while on bail were found to be "the number of charges faced by the person when they were bailed", "the number of previous offences committed by the person", "whether the person had previously served a custodial sentence", and the person's age.
Keywords: adjudication, bail, crime statistics, criminal behaviour, offenders, recidivism, system efficiency/effectiveness
Notes:
OFFENDERS AND OFFENDING
Parole and re-offending
RESEARCH
Done by: Department of Justice
Funded by: Department of Justice
Method: Quantitative study
Status: Completed
PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
Title: Reoffending and parole: a study of recidivism before and after the Criminal Justice Act 1985
Author(s): Asher, Bruce
Completed: YES, 1988
Availability: Wellington: Department of Justice, July 1988. ISBN 0-477-07246-1
Description: This research attempted to assess some of the possible effects of the parole provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 1985 on re-offending. In doing so, two central questions were addressed: (1) Have the new provisions affected the overall recidivism rate among released prisoners? and (2) is the recidivism rate for those granted early release under the new provisions significantly different from that of offenders not granted early release? The answer to the first question is a qualified "no". On none of the measures of re-offending was there a statistically significant difference between the 1986 sample and the 1985 sample, and in general the patterns of recidivist offending are very similar. The answer to the second question is a definite "yes". Those granted early release on parole in 1986 were less likely to re-offend, and had fewer reconvictions and court appearances, than were those released unconditionally or under supervision on their remission date.
Keywords: legislation impacts, parole, recidivism, sentence administration, sentencing effectiveness
Notes:
OFFENDERS AND OFFENDING
Predicting violent re-offending
RESEARCH
Done by: Department of Justice
Funded by: Department of Justice
Method: Literature review
Status: Completed
PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
Title: Background paper: the prediction of violent reoffending
Author(s): Vasil, Latika
Completed: YES
Availability: Wellington: Department of Justice, December 1987. ISBN 0-477-07240-2
Description: This paper reviews studies of prediction techniques. It concludes that there is no sure means of predicting who will re-offend and who will not, but that predictions of re-offending for violent crimes made on the basis of the methods reviewed are only likely to be accurate in one case out of three.
Keywords: crime statistics, criminal behaviour, forecasting and modelling, prediction, recidivism, violent crime
Notes:
OFFENDERS AND OFFENDING
Prediction model of re-offending
RESEARCH
Done by: Department of Justice Psychological Services, and Department of Corrections
Funded by: Department of Justice, and Department of Corrections
Method: Quantitative study
Status: Completed
PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
Title: The measurement of risk among offenders
Author(s): Bakker, Leon, David Riley and James O'Malley
Completed: NO, planned completion date July 1996
Availability: Publication planned; apply to Psychological Service,
Department of Corrections,
P O Box 1206, Wellington.
Description: Criminal histories of all offenders convicted in the 1983, 1988 and 1989 years were obtained from the Wanganui computer. This allowed a minimum of four years and nine months opportunity for reconviction. A number of variables were derived and a model developed which accurately predicted the probability that offenders would re-offend. Further models were derived which accurately predicted the seriousness of subsequent offending (high, medium, low), the probability of re-offenders receiving a prison sentence, and whether the sentence would be short or long.
Keywords: criminal behaviour, offenders, forecasting and modelling, recidivism, sentence administration, sentencing
Notes:
OFFENDERS AND OFFENDING
Prior injury risk factor for assault
RESEARCH
Done by: Injury Prevention Research Unit (Univeristy of Otago) and Injury Prevention Research Centre (The University of Auckland)
Funded by: -
Method: Quantitative study
Status: Completed
PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
Title: Hospitalizations for injury in New Zealand: prior injury as a risk factor for assaultive injury
Author(s): Dowd, M. Denise, John Langley, Thomas Koepsell, Robert Soderberg and Frederick P. Rivara
Completed: YES
Availability: American Journal of Public Health, July 1996; 86(7):929-34
Description: ABSTRACT. Objectives. This study sought to determine the degree to which injury hospitalisation, especially for assaultive injury, is a risk for subsequent hospitalisation due to assault. Methods. A New Zealand hospitalisation database was used to perform a retrospective cohort study. Exposure was defined as an injury hospitalisation, stratified into assaultive and non-assaultive mechanisms. Hospitalisations for an assault during a 12 month follow-up period were measured. Results. Individuals with a prior non-assaultive injury were 3.2 times more likely to be admitted for an assault than those with no injury admission (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.7, 3.9). The relative risk associated with a prior assault was 39.5 (95% CI = 35.8, 43.5), and the subsequent admission rate did not vary significantly by sex, race, or marital or employment status. Among those re-admitted for an assault, 70% were re-admitted within 30 days of the initial hospitalisation. Conclusions. Prior injury is a risk for serious assault, and the risk is even greater if the injury is due to assault. Risk of re-admission for assault is largely independent of demographic factors and greatest within 30 days of the initial assault.
Keywords: domestic violence, gender issues, health, victimisation, victims
Notes:
OFFENDERS AND OFFENDING
Profiling of serial offenders
RESEARCH
Done by: Regional Forensic Psychiatry Services, Auckland, in conjunction with NZ Fire Services, Auckland
Funded by: Regional Forensic Psychiatry Services, Auckland
Method: Literature review, quantitative study, pilot programme evaluation
Status: IN PROGRESS, ongoing since 1993
PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
Title: From arson to murder: the Auckland Youth Liaison Project
Author(s): Albrecht, H., R. Coleman and D. Chaplow
Completed: YES
Availability: Please contact principal author at Regional Forensic Psychiatry Services, Private Bag 19-986, Auckland. Phone (09) 849-7789, fax (09) 815-5163. Publication in Australasian Psychiatry, October 1996; ISSN 1039-8562.
Description: Aims. 1. Describes the Auckland Youth Liaison Project (YLP). 2. Identify, assess, treat youth at risk to set fire, and progress to murder (Auckland 1993-1995 inclusive). Findings. Core group of fire-setting youth in Auckland, at risk to progress to murder, depending on exclusion inclusion of variables, this group consists of a set of 3-5% of all youth examined 1993-1995.
Keywords: arson, case processing, community safety, costs of crime, crime detection, crime prevention, crime statistics, criminal behaviour, drugs, education, ethnic issues, forecasting and modelling, hate crimes, health, Maori, offences, offenders, Pacific Islands peoples, property offences, recidivism, rehabilitation, risk assessment, sexual abuse, violent crime, youth
Notes: [There are a number of reports and 5 yearly publications and presentations on this on-going research on profiling, risk assessment and crime prevention. Much of this work is done with Ray Coleman, Youth Liaison Officer of the Fire Service, Auckland.]
OFFENDERS AND OFFENDING
Reconviction study 1990-91
RESEARCH
Done by: Department of Justice Psychological Services
Funded by: Department of Justice
Method: Quantitative study
Status: Completed
PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
Title: Reconviction study 1990/91
Author(s): Bakker, L. and D. Riley
Completed: YES, 1993
Availability: Apply to Psychological Service, Department of Corrections, P O Box 1206, Wellington.
Description: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. The reconviction study was undertaken to ascertain whether the Psychological Services Division had met its Management Plan Performance Indicator of a 5% reduction in frequency, or seriousness or rate of re-offending. Four comparison groups were obtained to measure the relative impact of intervention for persons who completed treatment between 1 July 1990 and 30 June 1991. The results indicate that of those who completed treatment only 37% were reconvicted in the subsequent two years. This was significantly lower than for the control group, and the difference represented a 30% reduction by comparison to the control group and up to 18% reduction when compared to the other groups who had had contact with Psychological Services. Seriousness of offending was reduced by approximately 40% when compared with the control group. When a measure of the rate of reconviction between the groups was evaluated, the control group was found to display a greater reduction in this measure than the group which received treatment. However, the utility of this measure was restricted by the short follow-up period which meant that a small number of highly atypical individuals disproportionately influenced the results. Additionally, the different levels of seriousness of offending between the groups may have biased the results in the direction of a greater reduction in rate of offending for the control group. Other information of significance was that, while Maori appear to benefit from treatment to the same extent as Caucasians, they are referred at a lower rate than other racial groups. Those persons on Community Corrections re-offend at lower levels than those in prison. Also, females re-offend at a lower level than males...
Keywords: criminal behaviour, offences, offenders, recidivism, rehabilitation, sentence administration, sentencing
Notes:
Title: Base rates and reconviction rates for New Zealand violent offenders
Author(s): Mulligan, Andrea and Anthony P. McLean
Completed: YES
Availability: Apply to Psychological Service, Department of Corrections, P O Box 1206, Wellington.
Description: Information about base rates and reconviction rates for offenders is important in guiding offender management practices and in deciding priorities for use of limited resources in the criminal justice system. However, assessing these rates is difficult because it requires person-based information about offenders which is not readily accessible from official statistics. The present study formed a person-based database on violent offenders, a group who arouse a great deal of concern both in the justice system and in the community. A sample of offenders convicted in New Zealand for violent offences during a three-year period between 1979 and 1981 was studied to provide information about the nature of their violent offences, the rate of reconviction and the nature of subsequent offences. Base rates for different types of violent offences, and the sentences imposed for these offences, indicate that the vast majority were convicted of relatively minor offences. The reconviction rates were studied over a six-year follow-up period starting at the expected date of release from imprisonment, and indicate that much of the concern about these offenders is indeed warranted. The rate in the whole sample was close to 50% for subsequent violent offences and close to 75% for any offence. Different subcategories of violent offenders had violent reconviction rates ranging from 15.5% for homicide offenders to 83% for unlawful assembly offenders. Risk of reconviction appeared highest soon after release from imprisonment. The high reconviction rates for most violent offenders confirms that substantial reductions in violent-crime rates could be achieved by effective rehabilitative work with individual offenders.
Keywords: criminal behaviour, offences, offenders, recidivism, rehabilitation, sentence administration, sentencing
Notes:
OFFENDERS AND OFFENDING
Reducing re-offending
RESEARCH
Done by: Department of Justice
Funded by: Department of Justice
Method: Literature review
Status: Completed
PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
Title: Reducing reoffending: what works now
Author(s): McLaren, Kaye
Completed: YES
Availability: Wellington: Department of Justice, May, 1992. ISBN 0-477-07631-9
Description: This paper examines the evidence for and against the existence of correctional interventions. This evidence includes literature reviews of large groups of studies, individual studies and statistical analyses of groups of studies covering the period 1974 to 1991. The paper asks two questions. Firstly, are there any effective interventions? Secondly, if there are, do such interventions have anything in common?
Keywords: community corrections, correctional interventions, education, "principles of effectiveness", programmes, recidivism
Notes:
OFFENDERS AND OFFENDING
Review of the implementation of the 1988 Mason Report
RESEARCH
Done by: Ministry of Health
Funded by: Ministry of Health
Method: Qualitative study, formal questionnaire and informal feedback
Status: Completed
PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
Title: Five years out
Author(s): Ministry of Health
Completed: YES, December 1994
Availability: Available from Ministry of Health on request.
Description: Aim. To complete a comprehensive review of the implementations of the 1988 Mason Report into forensic psychiatric services. Method. Questionnaire survey of forensic services, general mental health services and regional health authorities, plus extracts from a survey by Department of Justice of its services. Findings. Most of the recommendations of the Mason Report in respect of forensic services have been implemented; service gaps which exist are identified.
Keywords: forensic psychiatry, health, mental health, mentally ill offenders, system efficiency/effectiveness
Notes:
OFFENDERS AND OFFENDING
Serious fraud policing
RESEARCH
Done by: Authors
Funded by: -
Method: Literature review, interviews
Status: Completed
PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
Title: Policing serious fraud
Author(s): Newbold, Greg, and Robert Ivory
Completed: YES
Availability: Crime, Law and Social Change, 1993; 20:233-48,
Description: ABSTRACT. The discovery of a serious fraud problem in New Zealand is very recent. Prior to the 1980s, there had been only three prosecutions for serious fraud in the history of the country, and penalties for those convicted were small. But a corporate boom in the 1980s, followed by the share market crash of 1987, revealed extensive serious fraud. Initial attempts to combat the problem through the Commercial Affairs Division of the Department of Justice failed. But in 1990 a Serious Fraud Office was established, with powers greater than those ever given before to a New Zealand law-enforcement agency. Three years later, the SFO had been notified of possible frauds totalling $2.5 billion. This represents many times what is reported stolen in all other property crime, but the SFO budget is only 1% of that devoted to ordinary policing. Since 1990, only one prosecution out of the seventeen completed has failed. Prison sentences of up to seven years and averaging almost four years, have been awarded. As the SFO nears the end of its third year, and its net gradually widens, its influence on illegal activity continues to grow.
Keywords: costs of crime, crime detection, crime prevention, crime statistics, criminal behaviour, enforcement, fear of crime, system efficiency/effectiveness, white-collar crime
Notes:
OFFENDERS AND OFFENDING
Services for Maori offenders
RESEARCH
Done by: Te Tira Whakaemi, Victoria University of Wellington (contracted to Te Puni Kokiri)
Funded by: Te Puni Kokiri (Ministry of Maori Development)
Method: Qualitative study, quantitative study
Status: Completed
PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
Title: Data collation exercise on programmes/services to Maori offenders
Author(s): Te Tira Whakaemi
Completed: YES, 30 November 1996
Availability: Contact Communications, Te Puni Kokiri, P O Box 3943, Wellington.
Description: Aim. To develop a nation-wide inventory or directory of non-government individuals and groups currently delivering or developing a programme for Maori offenders. Data collation exercise on programmes/services for Maori offenders.
Keywords: Maori, offenders
Notes:
OFFENDERS AND OFFENDING
Sex offender base rates
RESEARCH
Done by: Department of Justice Psychological Services
Funded by: Department of Justice
Method: Quantitative study
Status: Completed
PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
Title: Base rates and characteristics of convicted sexual offenders: a New Zealand study
Author(s): McLean, Anthony P. and Christina A. Rush
Completed: YES, 1990
Availability: Apply to Psychological Service, Department of Corrections, P O Box 1206, Wellington.
Description: Information on all sexual offenders convicted between 1978 and 1985 was obtained from the Wanganui computer. This comprised offence records and a small number of personal characteristics. The data was analysed to provide information about: 1. the incidence of various types of sexual offending; 2. the personal characteristics of different types of offender; 3. the reconviction rates for each type of offence; and 4. the offence patterns of individuals.
Keywords: criminal behaviour, offences, offenders, recidivism, sentence administration, sentencing, sexual offending
Notes:
OFFENDERS AND OFFENDING
Sex offenders and their families
RESEARCH
Done by: Author
Funded by: -
Method: Literature review, qualitative study, quantitative study, established programme evaluation
Status: IN PROGRESS, expected completion date 2001
PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
Title: Male sex offenders in a community treatment programme: an evaluation of treatment gains and family experience
Author(s): Vivian, Mark
Completed: NO, planned completion date 2001
Availability: -
Description: Relevant attitudes, beliefs and ascription of responsibility for offending of male sex offenders will be assessed pre- and post-treatment. Comparisons will be made with the attitudes, beliefs and ascription of responsibility of their significant family members.
Keywords: attitudes, evaluation, offenders, sex offenders, sexual abuse, treatment
Notes:
OFFENDERS AND OFFENDING
Sexual offending self-disclosure
RESEARCH
Done by: STOP (Christchurch) [Working to STOP sexual abuse for a safer community]
Funded by: -
Method: Quantitative study
Status: IN PROGRESS, expected completion date 1996
PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
Title: The public and the private record: self-disclosure of undetected sexual offences
Author(s): Vivian, Mark
Completed: NO, planned completion date 1996
Availability: To be submitted to Australasian journals
Description: 127 sex offenders in a community based treatment programme completed a questionnaire examining differences between conviction rates and unconvicted sexual offences. Although they reported an average (mean) of 1.6 convictions for sex offences per man, participants disclosed 13,130 (mean=103.4) sexual offences for which they have not been charged in court. Total victims number 4,708, a mean of 37 victims per man. Comparisons between victim gender, relationship to perpetrator and detections are also reported.
Keywords: crime detection, offences, offenders, sex offenders, sexual abuse, undetected offending
Notes:
OFFENDERS AND OFFENDING
Sexual violation recidivism
RESEARCH
Done by: Department of Justice
Funded by: Department of Justice
Method: Quantitative study
Status: Completed
PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
Title: Rape recidivism and sexual violation
Author(s): Southey, Pamela, Beverley Braybrook and Philip Spier
Completed: YES, 1994
Availability: Wellington: Department of Justice, April 1994. ISBN 0-477-07674-2
Description: CONCLUSION [abridged]. In the first part of the report, conviction and sentencing statistics are given for cases involving sexual violation for the years 1983 to 1992. Secondly, previous and subsequent convictions are examined for offenders released from a custodial sentence for rape between 1979 and 1981, and between 1984 and 1986. The third part presents information on inmates imprisoned for sexual violation in the year prior to the 1991 census of prison inmates... This report shows that convictions for violent sexual offences typically form only part of a history of violent and other offending. Rape offenders were much more likely to have a number of convictions for property offences. These findings support the suggestion that most offenders imprisoned for rape are "generalists" rather than primarily sex offenders... A large number of offenders were reconvicted for offences within five or ten years of their release from a custodial sentence for rape, with 59% of offenders in the 1979/81 group and 67% of offenders in the 1984/86 group being charged within five years of their release and subsequently convicted. The highest risk period for re-offending was within the first year following release, and over half of those who re-offended did so within one year. However, the study indicated that there was a continued risk of re-offending even after several years free from further convictions since a third of those not reconvicted after five years were reconvicted between five and ten years after their release. In the first five years following their release, approximately one third of rape offenders in each group were charged and convicted for a subsequent violent offence, and more than one third of the rape offenders in each group were incarcerated at some stage during the next five years following their release. Six percent of the 273 people in this study were reconvicted for rape within five years of their release.
Keywords: adjudication, criminal behaviour, offenders, prosecution, recidivism, sentencing, sexual abuse, violent crime
Notes:
OFFENDERS AND OFFENDING
Traffic-Accident survivors later convictions
RESEARCH
Done by: Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd
Funded by: Foundation for Research, Science and Technology
Method: Quantitative study
Status: Completed
PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
Title: Follow-up convictions for survivors of fatal road accidents
Author(s): Bailey, John P.M.
Completed: YES 1996
Availability: ESR Publication Series No. 22. ESR, Porirua, August 1996
Description: Compares traffic convictions of drivers surviving fatal road accidents in 1991 with those of similar drivers in 1986 fatal accidents, using data from Wanganui computer. Involvement in fatal accidents has little impact on subsequent recidivism when compared with drivers in injury (non-fatal) accidents.
Keywords: alcohol, recidivism, road accidents, traffic offences
Notes: Contact author, Bailey Partnership Ltd, 15 Spinnaker Drive, Whitby, Porirua; phone and fax (04)234-8298, e-mail baileyjm@actrix.gen.nz
OFFENDERS AND OFFENDING
Traffic-Compulsory breath testing
RESEARCH
Done by: Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd
Funded by: Foundation for Research, Science and Technology
Method: Quantitative study
Status: Completed
PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
Title: An evaluation of compulsory breath testing in New Zealand using data from an in-depth study of fatal road accidents
Author(s): Bailey, John P.M.
Completed: YES
Availability: ESR Publication Series No. 19, ESR, Porirua. May 1996
Description: SEE following Abstract for Comparison of compulsory breath testing in New Zealand and random breath testing in Victoria, Australia.
Keywords: alcohol, traffic offences
Notes: Contact author, Bailey Partnership Ltd, 15 Spinnaker Drive, Whitby, Porirua; phone and fax (04)234-8298, e-mail baileyjm@actrix.gen.nz
Title: Comparison of compulsory breath testing in New Zealand and random breath testing in Victoria, Australia
Author(s): Bailey, John P.M.
Completed: YES
Availability: ESR Publication Series No. 15, ESR, Porirua. 1995
Description: ABSTRACT. Compulsory Breath Testing (CBT) was introduced in New Zealand on 1 April 1993, in an attempt to minimise the costs, both human and monetary, associated with drinking and driving. This report studies its impact on reported injury accidents and breath-tested drivers using data sourced from a number of agencies. It also compares the impact in New Zealand with that in the Australian State of Victoria following the intensification of Random Breath Testing in late 1989. CBT was initially associated with a continuation of the reduction in the proportion of injury accidents that were alcohol-related or occurred at night, that apparently began in December 1992. The reduction was much greater for alcohol-related accidents or night time accidents than other accidents. However, the reduction in the first few months after the introduction of CBT was not sustained in later months. This was partly associated with an increase in traffic in 1993 and 1994. The ratio of alcohol-related to non alcohol-related accidents remained approximately constant through 1994, after a short-lived reduction when CBT was introduced. Initially the impact of CBT was greatest in the main centres. Later, the provincial cities and rural areas showed reductions. The decrease in alcohol-related accidents in New Zealand, upon the introduction of CBT, was appreciably less than that achieved in Victoria. CBT needs to be better tailored to impact on those drivers who have not responded to the existing campaign. In particular, more enforcement is needed in the rural areas and in the early morning. Publicity and education campaigns need to be targeted to groups such as those aged 35 to 44, and the lower socio-economic groups.
Keywords: alcohol, traffic offences
Notes: Contact author, Bailey Partnership Ltd, 15 Spinnaker Drive, Whitby, Porirua; phone and fax (04)234-8298, e-mail baileyjm@actrix.gen.nz
OFFENDERS AND OFFENDING
Traffic-Convictions and accidents
RESEARCH
Done by: Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd
Funded by: Foundation for Research, Science and Technology
Method: Quantitative study
Status: Completed
PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
Title: Traffic convictions and reported injury accidents for drinking and sober drivers involved in accidents or convicted in 1988
Author(s): Bailey, John P.M.
Completed: YES
Availability: ESR Publication Series No. 20. ESR, Porirua. 1996
Description: ABSTRACT. This study compares drinking and sober drivers involved in reported injury accidents or those convicted after being apprehended by the police for the year 1988. The drivers' offending records and involvement in reported injury accidents are studied both prior to, and subsequent to, the event that brought each driver into the study. The data obtained from the study are used to test ten hypotheses. The outcome is: 1. drinking and sober drivers differ demographically and in patterns of offending and involvement in accidents; 2. drinking drivers in reported injury accidents and those convicted of an offence differ; 3. drinking drivers in fatal accidents, in reported injury accidents and apprehended by the police differ in some important respects, but have many similarities; 4. there are differences in the traffic conviction patterns and patterns of involvement in reported injury accidents, both prior to and subsequent to the event in 1988 which brought the drivers into the study; 5. the penalties given to drinking drivers appear to be associated with a reduction in subsequent drink driving convictions in the following year, relative to later years; 6. the accident, or more likely the conviction, appears to reduce the subsequent conviction or accident rates for hard-core drivers compared with other drinking drivers. Hard-core drinking drivers are characterised by their prior offending and/or blood alcohol concentration in the accident; 7. some groups of drinking drivers are at higher risk of an accident or committing an offence; 8. recidivistic drivers seem to commit a number of different types of offences, not just the type they were previously involved in.
Keywords: alcohol, traffic offences
Notes: Contact author, Bailey Partnership Ltd, 15 Spinnaker Drive, Whitby, Porirua; phone and fax (04)234-8298, e-mail baileyjm@actrix.gen.nz
OFFENDERS AND OFFENDING
Traffic-Convictions for causing death or injury
RESEARCH
Done by: Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd
Funded by: Foundation for Research, Science and Technology
Method: Quantitative study
Status: Completed
PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
Title: Convictions for causing death or injury
Author(s): Bailey, John P.M.
Completed: YES 1996
Availability: ESR Publication Series No. 21. ESR, Porirua. August 1996
Description: Compares traffic conviction histories of drivers causing death or injury in 1992/93 with those given by Parsons in a similar study for 1965-1969. Large increase in number of prior convictions.
Keywords: alcohol, traffic offences
Notes: Contact author, Bailey Partnership Ltd, 15 Spinnaker Drive, Whitby, Porirua; phone and fax (04)234-8298, e-mail baileyjm@actrix.gen.nz
OFFENDERS AND OFFENDING
Traffic-Drink driving by Maori
RESEARCH
Done by: Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd
Funded by: Te Puni Kokiri (Ministry of Maori Development)
Method: Quantitative study
Status: Completed
PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
Title: A study of drinking and driving by Maori drivers
Author(s): Bailey, John P.M.
Completed: YES, June 1996
Availability: ESR client report to Te Puni Kokiri (Ministry of Maori Development).
Description: ABSTRACT. The aim of the study is to provide Te Puni Kokiri with information to assess the ways in which Maori drinking drivers differ from European ones. This will assist in formulating policy to address these differences. The Maori community can then take action to reduce the costs of drinking and driving, by addressing those issues likely to lead to the greatest reductions in death and injury for Maori. Analysis of data from an in-depth study of fatal road accidents shows that, when comparing like groups, a similar proportion of Maori and European drivers at fault in their accidents were drinking drivers. However, Maori have a higher overall rate of drinking and driving, and a higher proportion of Maori drivers appear to drive after drinking heavily. This probably explains why an appreciably higher proportion of drinking drivers were Maori than the proportion of Maori in Census data. Of particular concern is the low rate of wearing of seat belts by Maori drinking drivers in the fatal accidents. Appropriate interventions may well lead to a substantial reduction in drink driving deaths among Maori, without requiring any changes in drinking or drink driving behaviour. The report concludes with eleven recommendations to reduce the cost of drink driving to Maori.
Keywords: alcohol, ethnic issues, Maori, offences, traffic offences
Notes: Contact author, Bailey Partnership Ltd, 15 Spinnaker Drive, Whitby, Porirua; phone and fax (04)234-8298, e-mail baileyjm@actrix.gen.nz
OFFENDERS AND OFFENDING
Traffic-Drink-driving in rural areas
RESEARCH
Done by: Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd
Funded by: Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand
Method: Quantitative study
Status: Completed
PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
Title: A study of drinking and driving in rural areas
Author(s): Bailey, John P.M.
Completed: YES, July 1995
Availability: ESR report to Alcohol Advisory Council.
Description: ABSTRACT. Three different classifications of rural accidents are applied to data on fatal road accidents occurring in the years 1991-1993: 1. by the speed zone where the accident occurred; 2. by grouping the local bodies in which the accident occurred, into main centres, provincial cities and rural areas; 3. by the home address of the driver, into main urban, secondary urban, minor urban and rural areas. The third classification provided the greatest insight into the characteristics of drinking drivers and their accidents in rural areas. There are clear differences between those drinking drivers who live in rural areas and those who live in the main urban areas: 1. the number of drivers involved in fatal accidents per population is greater for those who lived in rural areas; 2. there are demographic differences involving age and ethnicity; 3. higher proportions of accidents for drivers living in rural areas occur in areas with speed limits of 80-100 km/hr than those with limits of 50 km/hr, with the result that a higher proportion of more severe accidents occur for drivers in these areas; 4. an appreciably lower proportion of drivers involved in fatal accidents and living in rural areas were using seat belts; 5. it appears that a higher proportion of drinking drivers in rural areas had been drinking at a hotel than was found for drivers in other areas. This suggests a ready point of intervention for a campaign against drinking and driving in rural areas. Maori ethnicity was not included in a logistic regression model of the fatally injured drinking drivers, when comparing those domiciled in main urban and rural areas. This may be a consequence of confounding in the data or of missing data on ethnicity. Analysis of the domicile of the drivers in fatal accidents has provided insight into differences between drinking and driving in rural areas and the main urban areas. The method has drawn heavily on data acquired by the author for other studies and shows the value of an in-depth approach to studying drinking and driving.
Keywords: alcohol, ethnic issues, Maori, traffic offences
Notes: Contact author, Bailey Partnership Ltd, 15 Spinnaker Drive, Whitby, Porirua; phone and fax (04)234-8298, e-mail baileyjm@actrix.gen.nz
OFFENDERS AND OFFENDING
Traffic-Drinking and fatal accidents
RESEARCH
Done by: Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd
Funded by: Foundation for Research, Science and Technology
Method: Quantitative study
Status: Completed
PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
Title: Alcohol and fatal road crashes
Author(s): Bailey, John
Completed: YES
Availability: New Zealand Public Health Report, September 1995; 2(9):73-4 ISSN 1173-0250
Description: Drinking drivers were compared with sober drivers involved in fatal road crashes over the three years 1991 to 1993. Drinking drivers were more likely to be young, male, Maori, unemployed, and disqualified or unlicensed drivers. They were also more likely to have had a prior criminal or driving conviction than sober drivers. Most fatal crashes involving drinking drivers occurred at night, and excessive speed and loss of control on corners was common. While persistent drinking drivers are a well defined group, they are also a difficult group to effectively target. New measures to reduce drink driving, specifically aimed at persistent offenders, need to be tried and evaluated.
Keywords: alcohol, Maori, traffic offences
Notes: Contact author, Bailey Partnership Ltd, 15 Spinnaker Drive, Whitby, Porirua; phone and fax (04)234-8298, e-mail baileyjm@actrix.gen.nz
OFFENDERS AND OFFENDING
Traffic-Drive Plan
RESEARCH
Done by: Drive Plan Committee
Funded by: Community Corrections (Department of Corrections), COGS, Marlborough Safer Community Group, Road Safety Trust, Trustbank
Method: Qualitative study, quantitative study, pilot programme evaluation
Status: IN PROGRESS, expected completion date September 1996
PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
Title: Drive Plan evaluation
Author(s): Barrer, Anne, and Martin White
Completed: NO, planned completion date September 1996
Availability: Will be available from Marlborough Safer Community Group, P O Box 443, Blenheim.
Description: Courses held for first time driving offenders, considered to be at risk of re-offending. Referral by courts. 12 week programme at end of which evaluations carried out regarding attitudes, driving skills, alcohol and drug use awareness, risk perception, and social conditioning.
Keywords: alcohol, alternative justice systems, attitudes, community safety, community corrections, courts, crime prevention, drugs, education, offenders, recidivism, sentence administration, traffic offences, youth
Notes:
OFFENDERS AND OFFENDING
Trends and international comparisons
RESEARCH
Done by: Department of Justice
Funded by: Department of Justice
Method: Quantitative study
Status: Completed
PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
Title: Offending in New Zealand: trends and international comparisons
Author(s): Norris, Marion and Simon MacPherson
Completed: YES, 1990
Availability: Wellington: Department of Justice, August 1990. ISBN 0-477-07610-6
Description: This report uses police statistics and conviction statistics to monitor trends in offending and in sentencing since 1981. Police statistics have been used to examine trends in the number of offences reported to or detected by the police, and to make some comparisons between rates of reported offending in New Zealand and rates in other countries. Conviction statistics have been used to examine trends in the number of convictions for particular types of offences, and in sentencing of offenders. The final section of the report compares New Zealand imprisonment rates with those found in other countries.
Keywords: adjudication, crime statistics, drug offences, imprisonment rates, international comparisons, offences against justice, offenders, property offences, prosecution, sentencing, sex offences, traffic offences, violent offences
Notes:
OFFENDERS AND OFFENDING
Violence base rates
RESEARCH
Done by: Department of Justice Psychological Services
Funded by: Department of Justice
Method: Literature review, quantitative study
Status: Completed
PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
Title: New Zealand violent offenders: priority decisions
Author(s): Mulligan, Andrea
Completed: YES, 1990
Availability: Apply to Psychological Service, Department of Corrections, P O Box 1206, Wellington.
Description: ABSTRACT [abridged]. Violent offending is of concern to both the public in general and the justice system in particular. Increasing trends in the numbers of offenders convicted of violent offences have placed increasing pressures on the Justice Department to address the problem and make decisions concerning possible solutions. The main aims of the present study were to, firstly, assess the extent to which violent offenders present a problem to the justice system using base rates, reconviction probabilities and seriousness data, and secondly, to outline how this information can be used to develop priority guidelines for rehabilitative efforts with violent offenders. Utilising information from the Wanganui computer, criminal histories of a randomly selected sample of 950 violent offenders were obtained. All offenders selected had a conviction for a violent offence between the dates, 1st January and 31st December 1981... Data analysis was designed so as to address base rates, reconviction probabilities and seriousness of subsequent offending for each category of violent offender. Predictor variables related to re-offending were also examined and evaluated using discriminant function analysis
Keywords: criminal behaviour, offenders, recidivism, sentence administration, sentencing, seriousness, violent crime
Notes: Available as short report, or full (thesis, University of Canterbury) report.
OFFENDERS AND OFFENDING
Violent offences legislation
RESEARCH
Done by: Department of Justice
Funded by: Department of Justice
Method: Quantitative study
Status: Completed
PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
Title: The violent offences legislation Part 1: possession of knives and other offensive weapons
Author(s): Kettles, Susan
Completed: YES, 1989
Availability: Wellington: Department of Justice, October 1989. ISBN 0-477-07234-8
Description: The main findings. (1) The introduction of s13A of the Summary Offences Act did not appear to lead to an overall increase in the number of convictions for possession of knives and other offensive weapons. It seemed to cause a movement of convictions from s202A of the Crimes Act to s13A. (2) Apart from an increase in the average custodial sentence length for possession of an offensive weapon following the doubling of the maximum penalty under s202A of the Crimes Act, the legislative changes have had no clear effect on custodial sentencing. (3) There is no conclusive evidence to show that possession of a knife is being treated in the same way as possession of an offensive weapon since the legislation was changed to include knives under s202A. (4) The legislative changes do not appear to have had a measurable deterrent effect. (5) There has not been a significant increase in the imprisonment of re-offenders convicted for possession of an offensive weapon as a result of the introduction of s202BA of the Crimes Act. This section requires that such re-offenders are imprisoned unless there are special circumstances which make this sentence inappropriate. Evidence from court files suggests that this requirement has not been given specific consideration during sentencing in many cases dealing with these re-offenders.
Keywords: adjudication, knives, legislation impacts, offenders, offensive weapons, prosecution, sentencing, violent crime
Notes:
Title: The violent offences legislation Part 2: the imprisonment of offenders who used serious violence
Author(s): Kettles, Susan
Completed: YES, 1989
Availability: Wellington: Department of Justice, October 1989. ISBN 0-477-07239-9
Description: Amendments to the Criminal Justice Act 1985 introduced on 1 August 1987 examined in this paper arose from recommendations made by the Ministerial Committee of Inquiry into Violence ("the Roper Committee"). These recommendations in turn arose from public concern about the sentencing of violent offenders. Many submissions to the Roper Committee criticised such sentencing as being too lenient... Following the legislative changes, there was an insignificant increase in the proportion of custodial sentences resulting from violent offences with a maximum sentence of imprisonment for two to five years (23.0% to 23.9%) and a slight increase for offences with a maximum sentence of imprisonment for five years or more (62.6% to 64%)... Using data up until February 1988, there is no evidence that the amendments to the legislation have made an observable overall difference to the sentencing of offenders convicted of offences involving violence and subject to a maximum sentence of imprisonment for two to five years.
Keywords: adjudication, crime statistics, imprisonment, legislation impacts, offenders, prosecution, sentencing, violent crime
Notes:
Title: The violent offences legislation Part 3: the eligibilty of violent offenders for parole
Author(s): Kettles, Susan
Completed: YES, 1989
Availability: Wellington: Department of Justice, October 1989. ISBN 0-477-07216-X
Description: On 1 August 1987 the Criminal Justice Amendment (No.3) [Act] amended section 93 of the Criminal Justice Act 1985, relating to eligibility for parole. This paper contains an analysis of the impact of the amendment on the prison muster. Overall, combining all three categories of offenders affected (life prisoners, preventive detainees and inmates sentenced to more than two years imprisonment for a "specified offence"), it is predicted that the change will begin to have an impact on the prison muster in 1989. In this year there could be 11 inmates who would not have been in prison under the previous legislation. There could be 123 extra inmates in 1991. With low initial release, it is predicted that this will increase to reach 230 extra inmates in 2000. With high initial release, it could reach 178.
Keywords: adjudication, crime statistics, forecasting and modelling, legislation impacts, offenders, prosecution, sentencing, violent crime
Notes:
Title: The violent offences legislation Part 4: the commission of a crime with a weapon AND Part 5: miscellaneous provisions
Author(s): Kettles, Susan and Francis Luketina
Completed: YES
Availability: Wellington: Department of Justice, September 1992. ISBN 0-477-07638-6
Description: The first part of this report contains an examination of the effect of the introduction of four new offences on 28 October 1986: using a firearm against a law enforcement officer (s198A, Crimes Act 1961); commission of a crime with a firearm (s198B, Crimes Act 1961); assault with a weapon (s202C, Crimes Act 1961); and aggravated burglary (s240A, Crimes Act 1961). It also examines the effect of changes to s45 and s46 of the Arms Act 1983 made on 1 August 1987. These sections relate to the carrying of firearms, airguns, pistols, restricted weapons, explosives or imitation firearms without lawful purpose. The maximum penalties for these offences were increased from three months to two years imprisonment. The second part of this report examines those provisions of the violent offences legislation passed in 1986 and 1987 which were not dealt with in the first four parts of the evaluation. Since 1 August 1987 there has been an increase in orders for the payment of all or part of a fine to the victims of common assault under the Crimes Act 1961. This increase appears to be attributable to the legislative change made to section 28 of the Criminal Justice Act 1985. The new offence of failure to answer bail has been extensively used.
Keywords: adjudication, crime statistics, legislation impacts, offenders, prosecution, sentencing, violent crime
Notes:
