Australian Institute of Criminology

About: Australian Institute of Criminology is a government organization based out in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Poison control & Criminal justice. The organization has 84 authors who have published 225 publications receiving 3801 citations.

Supply control and harm reduction: lessons from the Australian heroin 'drought'.

Abstract: AIMS: To examine the effects of supply-side drug law enforcement on the dynamics of the Australian heroin market and the harms associated with heroin. SETTING: Around Christmas 2000, heroin users in Sydney and other large capital cities in Australia began reporting sudden and significant reductions in the availability of heroin. The changes, which appear to have been caused at least in part by drug law enforcement, provided a rare opportunity to examine the potential impact of such enforcement on the harm associated with heroin. DESIGN: Data were drawn from a survey of 165 heroin users in South-Western Sydney, Australia; from the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) project; from NSW Health records of heroin overdoses; and from the Computerized Operational Policing System (COPS) database. FINDINGS: Heroin price increased, while purity, consumption and expenditure on the drug decreased as a result of the shortage. The fall in overall heroin use was accompanied by a significant reduction in the rate of overdose in NSW. However, the health benefits associated with the fall in overdose may have been offset by an increase in the use of other drugs (mainly cocaine) since the onset of the heroin shortage. There does not appear to have been any enduring impact on crime rates as a result of the heroin 'drought'. CONCLUSION: Supply control has an important part to play in harm reduction; however, proponents of supply-side drug law enforcement need to be mindful of the unintended adverse consequences that might flow from successfully disrupting the market for a particular illegal drug. Language: en

The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

Abstract: !. n~mber of events in recent years have placed the issue of commercial sexual exploitation of children high on the public agenda. Evidence that Australian tourists were travelling overseas for the purpose of having sex with children produced widespread public debate, and resulted in the Crimes (Child Sex Tourism) Amendment Act 1994 (Cth). In 1996, the Wood Royal Commission sought evidence about the existence of organised paedophilia in New South Wales (Wood 1997).

Cyber criminals on trial

Abstract: As computer-related crime becomes more important globally, both scholarly and journalistic accounts tend to focus on the ways in which the crime has been committed and how it could have been prevented. Very little has been written about what follows: the capture, possible extradition, prosecution, sentencing and incarceration of the cyber criminal. Originally published in 2004, this book provides an international study of the manner in which cyber criminals are dealt with by the judicial process. It is a sequel to the groundbreaking Electronic Theft: Unlawful Acquisition in Cyberspace by Grabosky, Smith and Dempsey (Cambridge University Press, 2001). Some of the most prominent cases from around the world are presented in an attempt to discern trends in the handling of cases, and common factors and problems that emerge during the processes of prosecution, trial and sentencing.

Organised crime groups in cyberspace: a typology

Abstract: Three categories of organised groups that exploit advances in information and communications technologies (ICT) to infringe legal and regulatory controls: (1) traditional organised criminal groups which make use of ICT to enhance their terrestrial criminal activities; (2) organised cybercriminal groups which operate exclusively online; and (3) organised groups of ideologically and politically motivated individuals who make use of ICT to facilitate their criminal conduct are described in this article. The need for law enforcement to have in-depth knowledge of computer forensic principles, guidelines, procedures, tools, and techniques, as well as anti-forensic tools and techniques will become more pronounced with the increased likelihood of digital content being a source of disputes or forming part of underlying evidence to support or refute a dispute in judicial proceedings. There is also a need for new strategies of response and further research on analysing organised criminal activities in cyberspace.