Behind the constant public concern about crime, expressed in such terms as 'crime wave', and 'police crackdown' are commonly-held perceptions about changes in the level of criminal activity. This book analyses these changes over eight decades. Data from the police, the courts, the prisons and a host of demographic, social and economic variables are analysed to reveal trends in crime and punishment, and the relationships between these trends and other aspects of Australian society.
'This volume is important beyond the boundaries of Australia. Dr Mukherjee has performed a research coup in being able to pull together the criminal statistical data from all over the country and to provide a model for time-series analysis. The data are rich, the statistical presentation clear, the temporal scope from 1900 to 1976 unusual and fascinating to scholars, legislators, and all others involved in criminal justice.'
- Marvin E. Wolfgang, Professor of Sociology and Law, and Director of the Center for Studies in Criminology and Criminal Law, University of Pennsylvania.