Criminal Justice Diversion Program Statistical Profile Released
Today the Sentencing Advisory Council released The Criminal Justice Diversion Program in Victoria: A Statistical Profile. The profile contains previously unpublished statistics on the use of the Criminal Justice Diversion Plan disposition in the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria from July 2006 to June 2007.
The Criminal Justice Diversion Program (CJDP) is designed to provide defendants with the opportunity to avoid a criminal record by undertaking specific conditions, such as apologising or paying compensation to the victim, undertaking counselling or community work.
Key findings of the profile include:
- In 2006-07, magistrates used diversion plans for 7.2 per cent of defendants. Over 5,000 people were placed on a diversion plan with the majority aged between 17 and 29 years (59.4%) and almost three-quarters male (71.2%).
- The most common offence categories among these defendants were property offences (35.6%) and traffic offences (21.7%).
- Just over half of diversion plans were for 3 to 4 months (51.3%) and most defendants were required to undertake two or more conditions as part of their plans (56.1%). The most common conditions were making a donation (71.7%), writing a letter of apology to the victim (33.1%), writing a letter of gratitude to the informant (24.0%) and paying compensation to the victim (17.7%).
- Defendants were more likely to receive a diversion plan if they were between 17 and 19 years old (17.4%) or 65 years and older (16.1%), if they were female (11.0%) or if they had committed a property offence (14.4%).