Culture, Strengths, and Risk: The Language of Pre-Sentence Reports in Indigenous Sentencing Courts and Mainstream Courts

Author:

Coulter Darcy J.1ORCID,Forkan Abdur Rahim Mohammad2,Kang Yong-Bin3ORCID,Trounson Justin S.1,Anthony Thalia4,Marchetti Elena5,Shepherd Stephane M.1ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science, Swinburne University of Technology and Forensicare

2. Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology

3. Department of Media and Communication, Swinburne University of Technology

4. Faculty of Law, University of Technology Sydney

5. Griffith Law School, Griffith University

Abstract

Pre-sentence reports (PSRs) provide important information about an individual’s background and circumstances to assist judicial officers in the sentencing process. The present study analyzed PSRs for 63 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people sentenced by either an Indigenous sentencing court or a mainstream court in the Australian State of Victoria. Using natural language processing techniques, our analyses revealed few differences between PSRs conducted for each court. However, PSRs were found to predominantly feature key words that are risk-based, with mainstream court PSRs more negatively worded than the Indigenous sentencing court’s PSRs. This may have been due to the inclusion of results from a risk and need assessment tool. Pro-social factors did comprise more than one third of extracted keywords, although the number of strength-based culture-related keywords, in particular, was low across PSRs in both courts. It is possible that courts may not be receiving all the information needed to promote individualized justice.

Funder

Australian Institute of Criminology

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Subject

Law,General Psychology,Pathology and Forensic Medicine

Reference54 articles.

1. Anthony T. (2010). Sentencing Indigenous offenders (Brief 7, Indigenous Justice Clearinghouse). Department of Justice and Attorney General, Government of New South Wales. https://www.indigenousjustice.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/mp/files/publications/files/brief007.v1.pdf

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