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Key findings

• The AIC interviewed 170 assault offenders detained on Friday and Saturday nights as part of the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) program. Analysis of questions about alcohol use provides valuable information to support a range of alcohol harm reduction strategies, including Operation Unite.
• Those charged with assault on Friday and Saturday nights were more likely than those charged at other times to have consumed alcohol in the past 48 hours and attribute alcohol as a factor in their offending.

Key findings

• The Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) interviewed 161 offenders detained for disorderly conduct offences on Friday and Saturday nights as part of the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) program. Analysis of new questions about alcohol use provides valuable information to support a range of alcohol harm reduction strategies, including Operation Unite.

Key findings

• In recognition of the need for ongoing monitoring of new or less common drug types, the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC), as part of the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) program, interviewed 824 police detainees about their knowledge of and experience with mephedrone, GHB, Ketamine and Rohypnol.

Key findings

• The Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) interviewed 816 detainees about their personal experience of victimisation and fear of victimisation for three crime types—physical assault, burglary and motor vehicle theft—as part of the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) program. This is the first study of its kind in Australia to compare rates of victimisation and fear of victimisation between a sample of police detainees and the general population.

Introduction

Scrap metal theft is a lucrative and attractive venture for thieves and a significant issue for the construction industry (Jones 2008). It appears to be facilitated by a largely unregulated scrap metal recycling industry, the relative ease of theft due to the openness and accessibility of construction sites, and encouraged by escalating metal prices. The price of copper, for example, has doubled since 2005.

Research suggests that individuals with a mental illness and/or intellectual disability are over-represented at all stages in the criminal justice system (Butler & Alnutt 2003). As such, it appears that traditional criminal justice responses may not be as effective with this offender group. Alternative criminal justice processes that have attracted the attention of policymakers are specialist mental health courts and diversion programs.

Introduction

Key findings

• Recent data from the Australian Institute of Criminology’s Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) program shows an increase in the use of methamphetamine among police detainees.
• Voluntary urinalysis undertaken by detainees shows that in the first three-quarters of 2011, 21 percent of police detainees tested positive to methamphetamine—up from 16 percent in 2010 and 13 percent in 2009.

Key findings

• In light of increased concern regarding the illegal use of prescription medication and the extent of the diversion of pharmaceuticals into the black market, the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) incorporated a set of new questions into its Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) program in 2011.
• Analysis showed that one in three (36%) of 825 adult police detainees self-reported using either buprenorphine, methadone, morphine, benzodiazepines or dexamphetamine at least once in the past 12 months.

Each year, the Australian Institute of Criminology conducts an online survey on behalf of the Australasian Consumer Fraud Taskforce (ACFT) to assess consumer fraud experiences of those who choose to participate. Between 2007 and 2011, the surveys sought responses from interested people concerning their experiences in the preceding 12 months. Figure 1 shows the proportion of respondents who received at least one scam invitation by the different delivery media. These results show an overall trend away from scam delivery by mail towards the use of email and telecommunications.

Each year since 2006, the Australian Institute of Criminology has conducted an online survey on behalf of the Australasian Consumer Fraud Taskforce (ACFT) to assess consumer fraud experiences of those who choose to participate. The surveys have sought responses from interested people between January and March each year, asking about their experiences in the preceding 12 months.

Key findings

• Recent data from the Australian Institute of Criminology’s Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) program indicate a decrease in the use of ecstasy among police detainees. Specifically, only five percent of police detainees in 2010 (n=187) and 2011 (n=170) reported using ecstasy; 50 percent lower than in 2009 (n=428) when ecstasy use peaked at 11 percent.

Key findings

• The Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM II) program operates in 10 cities across the United States and captures drug use information from police detainees using urinalysis procedures comparable to Australia’s own Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) program.

Key findings

• The Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) interviewed 842 detainees about their first experience of drug use as part of the AIC’s Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) program. Detainees were asked to recount the reasons why they first tried drugs, as well as why they continued to use them. Those detainees who had abstained were asked to nominate the factors that were important in their decision to not use drugs.