A recent study by The Sentencing Advisory Council comparing the changes in sentence lengths, imprisonment rates and crime figures in Victoria over the last ten years has found:
Since 2002 there has been an increase of more than 40%, some 5,000 people, in Victorian jails.
The rate at which people are being sent to jail rose from 94.2 to 111.7 per 100,000 people.
People are also being given longer sentences.
About 20% of the prison population consists of people who haven’t been convicted to date but are being held in custody
According to Arie Frieberg, Chairman of the Sentencing Advisory Council, “there’s been an increase in those people coming in for violent offences and the other major driver is the increase in the number of people who have been refused bail.”
Kim Wells, Police Minister, said that they were elected in 2010 with a tough law and order policy and makes no apologies for locking up people who’ve committed criminal offences in an attempt to make our streets safer.
The cost to keep a person in a Victorian prison is about $267.00 per day or almost $100,000.00 per year.
For victims of crime support and advice call 1800 000 055 or go to www.victimsofcrime.com.au or email: support@victimsofcrime.com.au
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