Pubdate: Sat, 9 May 1998
Source: Daily Telegraph (Australia) 
Contact:  
Author: Rachel Morris

MORE TIMES FOR INMATES AS COURTS GET TOUGH

MORE offenders are spending longer in jail with the State's prison
population growing by 11 per cent since 1995.

Men sent to jail by NSW district courts are receiving sentences more than
three months longer on average than three years ago, while the length of
local court sentences has increased by nine days.

The State Government and the Opposition were united yesterday in calling for
more prisons to be built to accommodate the growing prison population.

The NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research reported that the number of
prison sentences handed out by local courts rose to 5953 in 1997 – almost
600 more than in 1995.

District courts sent fewer people to prison – 1356 in 1997 compared with
1762 two years earlier.

But both courts imposed longer sentences. Men sent to jail in the district
court were given 26 months and three days on average last year, compared
with 22 months and 27 days in 1995.

Local court sentences for men averaged four months and 27 days last year –
up from four months and 18 days in 1995.

Nearly 25,000 new cases were heard in NSW courts last year with up to
200,000 people facing jail and other penalties.

The bureau reported a 33 per cent rise in fine defaulters behind bars and a
9 per cent increase in remand prisoners.

All told, the prison population increased from around 5630 in January 1995
to 6320 in May last year.

Attorney-General Jeff Shaw said the increase in jail numbers proved that the
State Government was "catching criminals" and giving them tougher and longer
punishments.

But the bureau's director, Don Weatherburn, accused politicians of indulging
the public's desire for revenge but doing little to stop crime in their
bidding war for tougher penalties.

"The public is understandably upset about crime, wants revenge, and nothing
gives a satisfaction of revenge more than sending people to jail and putting
them there for longer," he said.

Mr Shaw said the community expected a sufficient signal to be sent in
response to serious crime.

"It's undoubtedly true that as a result of more criminal trials, more people
are going to jail, and it's also true on the figures we have that they are
spending longer in jail," Mr Shaw said.

"I think there is community support for that phenomenon and that means that
jail space has to be increased."

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Checked-by: Melodi Cornett