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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-02-04 Daily Xml
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RECIDIVISM

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (15:58): I refer to a brief article in The Advertiser on 31 January 2009 that highlighted, from the Productivity Commission's national review of government services, that the rate of return to prison by those released within two years of completion of their custodial sentence was almost 40 per cent.

The Northern Territory, with a high proportion of indigenous prisoners, has the highest rate of recidivism, at 44 per cent in 2007-08. We all know that Aboriginality is a key factor for involvement in the criminal justice system, which is obvious from their overrepresentation in correctional institutions. New South Wales, with its high population, is not far behind with 43 per cent. The national rate is 38.2 per cent. South Australia had the lowest rate, at 33.2 per cent. While this is heartening, there is still room for great improvement, both in state and national figures. I have been watching this area closely for some time. The New South Wales parliamentary research library paper from November 2006, Reducing the Risk of Recidivism, by Ms T. Drabsch, states:

Determining the proper response to the reoffending behaviour of criminals has plagued governments, criminologists, the judiciary and the community for some time. A precise figure for the rate of recidivism cannot be ascertained, as much crime goes unreported and the courts do not convict all offenders for various reasons, including lack of evidence. Rates of recidivism also depend on what measures are used in terms of the time frame considered and whether one is concerned about particular offences, re-arrest rates or re-imprisonment. Nonetheless, approximately 60 per cent of those in custody in Australia have previously served a period of imprisonment. Recidivism is accordingly an important subject for study.

Recidivism is a key aspect in understanding offenders and their behaviour, but there have been relatively few studies because of legislative privacy and ethics concerns. One of the reports from 2007 through the Australian Institute of Criminology tells us data sources have their own internal limitations and are likely to inherit many of the limitations from earlier systems and variances from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. With these qualifications in mind, the report tells us:

about two in every three prisoners will have been previously imprisoned

about one in four prisoners will be reconvicted within three months of being released from prison

between 35 and 41 per cent of prisoners will be re-imprisoned within two years of being released

the recidivism rates (regardless of how they were measured) appear reasonably consistent over time

Secondly:

approximately 50 per cent of adult police arrestees will have been arrested at least once in the past 12 months, and approximately one in five will have spent time in prison in the past 12 months

between 50 and 60 per cent of adult police arrestees will be re-arrested at least once within 10 years, although the probability of arrest is highest within the first two years

about two-thirds of adult offenders appearing before the lower courts will have been previously convicted, and one in five previously sentenced to prison

approximately 15 per cent of adult offenders released from community corrections will return to community corrections within two years

It goes on with several other statistics to do with juvenile offenders.

Returning to the Productivity Commission's report in section 8.1, headed Profile of Corrective Services, we learn:

...the operation of corrective services is significantly influenced by, and in turn influences, other components of the criminal justice system, such as police and courts. The management of prisoners and offenders serving community corrections orders is the core business of all corrective services agencies. However, the scope of the responsibilities of these agencies varies widely.

Another report I would like to quote from is that prepared by SACOSS for Offenders Aid and Rehabilitation South Australia in August 2008, and it looks at the causes of crime. It states:

There is not a simple and clear set of conditions or factors that directly lead to criminal behaviour; rather, there are complex circumstances that increase the risk factors of criminal behaviour. Identifying the causes of crime, however, should not be caught up in a desire to apportion blame or marginalise those most at risk of such behaviour.

Further in that report it talks about the cost of crime and it states:

The cost of crime in financial terms in Australia is vast. Mayhew [in his report in 2003] estimates that the overall cost of crime in Australia amounts to an incredible $32 billion a year. When broken down, this figure equates to approximately $1,600 per person and 5 per cent of our national GDP...

The cost of the criminal justice system in South Australia in 2006-07 was approximately $795 million. This figure is an extrapolation of the costs of the police, courts and corrections.

It is obvious from these figures that prevention is much better than cure, and a significant reduction in recidivism is essential for both the future of our state and the offenders concerned. When we examine prisoner profiles, we see some common demographics. One in particular is a lack of education in the male prison population.

Time expired.

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