Sentencing practices in Victoria and in Norway Flashcards
Sentencing options in Victoria:
- Dismissal, discharge, adjournments
- Fine
- Community corrections order
- Drug treatment order
- Hospital security order
- Imprisonment
Dismissal, discharge, adjournments
Release or discharge of accused
Fine
Payment of money into the court
Community corrections order
Sentence served in community with conditions attached
Drug treatment order
Rehabilitation program for drug offenders
Hospital security order
Detention in mental health facility
Imprisonment
Detention in prison, away from society
Imprisonment in Victoria
- Therapeutic justice
- Drug Court
- Koori Court
- Neighbourhood Justice Centre
- Assessment and Referral Court List
Therapeutic justice
Therapeutic justice is where underlying health and personal issues are addressed to prevent re-offending. It focuses on the cause of offending, rather than on punishing offending. Several therapeutic justice-based practices have been introduced into Victoria in the past 20 years
Drug Court
A division of the Magistrates’ Court dealing with offenders who are addicted to drugs
Koori Court
A sentencing court for indigenous offenders
Neighbourhood Justice Centre
A Magistrates’ Court that takes a more holistic approach to sentencing
Assessment and Referral Court List
Within the Magistrates’ Court to meet the needs of cognitively impaired offenders.
Legal system in Norway
Norway has a low crime rate compared with Australia and most other countries in the world.
- rates of recidivism are also low (around 20%, compared to over 40% in Victoria)
- places less reliance on imprisonment and focuses more on rehabilitation and restorative justice
Sentencing options in Norway
- imprisonment
- preventive detention
- community service
- fines
- loss of rights
Sentencing options in Norway - Imprisonment
Normal maximum sentence is 21 years
Sentencing options in Norway - Preventive detention
Offenders can be kept in prison for up to 5 more years at the end of their sentence if they are assessed to still be a danger to society.
Sentencing options in Norway - Community service
Similar to Victorias CCO
Sentencing options in Norway - Fines
The same type of Penalty as Victoria
Sentencing options in Norway - Loss of rights
Offenders can be stripped of their right to participate in some activities
Imprisonment in Norway
- prison population per 100 00 people is 74, versus 162 in Australia
- over 89% of prison sentences in Norway are less than 1 year long
Life in Norwegian prisons
- much more like life on the outside than life in Australia’s prisons
- even maximum security prisons, like Halden, have running tracks, recording studios and access to computers.
