Abolition of Short Term Sentences in NSW

Sydney (Wednesday, 17 November 2004): The NSW Sentencing Council has released its report into proposals to abolish short prison sentences of six months or less in NSW.

In summary, the report recommends that abolition of short prison sentences should only be considered after:

• primary alternative to full-time custody are available uniformly throughout NSW;
• the impact of abolition of short sentences in WA is evaluated;
• exceptions to abolition are settled; and
• abolition is trialled throughout all of NSW for Aboriginal women.

Read the Sentencing Council's report.

Read UNSWCCL's submission to the NSW Sentencing Council in which UNSWCCL gives cautious support to the reform.

Read what Pauline Wright, NSWCCL Vice President, says about short term sentences.

More information

• Read what the NSW Sentencing Council's report on the abolition of short term sentences.
• Read what the Chairman of the NSW Sentencing Council has to say about abolition of short term sentences.
• Western Australia is currently the only State in Australia to have abolished short-term sentences. Read about the West Australian experience in the Standing Committee on Legislation's Report of the Standing Committee on Legislation in relation to the Sentencing Legislation Amendment and Repeal Bill 2002 and the Sentence Administration Bill 2002: Report 18 (May 2003)
• The NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research have prepared a short report on the impact of this reform on NSW.