Concern over lack of evidence-based criminal justice policy - Rethinking Crime and Punishment

Kim Workman, Director, Rethinking Crime and Punishment says that criminal justice professionals are becoming increasingly concerned that justice policy is being pushed through the legislative process in the absence of evidence based research, good information, and adequate consultation.

"It was understandable that the new government wanted to make good on its law and order promises in the first 90 days of office. The growing view amongst public servants, the judiciary, and criminal justice advisers and providers, is that it is now time to "get smart" rather than "get tough".

"The current proposal to exclude violent offenders, drug addicts and sex offenders from home detention is a good example, of a proposal based on inadequate research. It is based on a claim that the public is concerned that the proportion of offenders from this group being sentenced to home detention has increased by 10% over a five year period. Our own discussions with members of the public show that the increase hasn't even registered with the public, and there is no great concern. Nor is there any evidence that the increase has resulted in an increased risk to public safety.

What we did find however, was an a concern that women with dependent children were increasingly being sentenced to home detention, in circumstances which makes it extremely difficult for them to provide adequate care and support for their children. The view is that in the past, these women would have been dealt with by less restrictive means, and that this 'hardening up' is adding stress to already dysfunctional families.

The problem is that no one really knows, because no one has bothered to carry out adequate research.

What we do know is that sending them to prison rather than home detention will increase the likelihood of reoffending."

"At present, 31% of persons on Home Detention are reconvicted within two years of completing their sentence, compared with 57% of persons released from prison. It is also less expensive - costs $21,000 a year to administer a home detention sentence - as against $76,000 for someone in prison.

"What the community wants is less victims in the community. The evidence shows that Home Detention is a good way of achieving it.

Kim Workman suggested government should invest in the establishment of community based rehabilitative programmes for drug offenders and sex offenders, rather than send them to prison. "The latest research indicates that residential alcohol and drug treatment in the community reduces reoffending by up to 43 per cent, while treatment in in prison reduces reoffending by between 13 per cent and 30 per cent. There is a severe shortage of community based drug treatment at present."

ENDS

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