Crime and justice research Offence trends

The research described in the Adult illicit drug offending and criminal justice outcomes in Queensland report used a whole-of-system approach to understand the impact of adult illicit drug offending on Queensland’s criminal justice system. When comparing 2012–13 with 2020–21 increases in the volume and rate of illicit drug offences proceeded against by police were observed, which impacted the volume and rate of illicit drug defendants finalised in court, which in turn impacted the number of people held in sentenced custody for illicit drug offences. Growth for minor illicit drug offences was higher than that found for serious illicit drug offences, and there was evidence to suggest a decline in the use of police and court diversion for minor illicit drug offences possibly due to declining eligibility for these interventions. Observed growth in the volume and rate of admissions to sentenced custody, coupled with increases in the median length of stay for illicit drug offences, contributed to Queensland’s prisoner number growth.

The research described in The age distribution of crime by offence type: Comparing 2008–09 with 2018–19 report aimed to better understand if decreases in offending among younger people observed as coinciding with increases in offending among older people were related to the types of offending being committed. The research found that offending among young people decreased across all offence categories (except illicit drug offences) when comparing 2008–09 with 2018–19, while substantial increases in theft, burglary, illicit drug and justice procedures type offences were observed for older offenders. The 2018–19 comparison year was selected purposefully to ensure the possible impact of COVID19 social containment measures on crime trends did not influence research results.

The research described in the Changing patterns in the age distribution of crime in Queensland report shows substantial changes in the age of offenders. When comparing 2008–09 with 2017–18:

• there were fewer offenders overall, committing more offences on average
• the decline in offenders was driven by a decrease in younger offenders, as older offender rates tended to increase
• changes in the age distribution of crime meant that young offenders (aged under 25 years) accounted for less crime in total than that in the past.

Analyses presented in the Spatial and temporal distribution of reported offences in Queensland report highlight the importance of place–based criminal justice initiatives. They showed that:

• crime rates vary across location and time, but some locations consistently experienced either growing or declining crime rates between 2008–09 and 2017–18
• with the exception of drug offences, crime has become slightly less concentrated in terms of geographical distribution
• the share of crime experienced by socially and economically disadvantaged locations has increased slightly.