This graph was just released by the Sentencing Advisory Council. It shows the sentences being handed out in the Magistrates’ Court, broken down by proportion.

No prizes for guessing why suspended sentences are down – the mandatory imprisonment requirement for driving while suspended or disqualified took effect in May 2011, exactly the point where the brown line takes its biggest dip.

These sentencing orders add up to around 35% of dispositions in the Magistrates’ Court. It doesn’t include orders made against licences, or fines ( which are by far the most common sentencing order).

The SAC have also released statistics showing Victoria’s position compared with other states in imprisonment and community correction rates. The figures show Victoria near to the lowest in both categories.