Compare your sentencing decisions with what judges decided in real cases

These five questions describe crimes committed by real offenders. This survey is designed to see if you (the public) would make similar sentencing decisions to judges in each case. The survey takes about two minutes to complete.

A 24-year-old man commits five theft/burglaries within the space of three months. He has six previous convictions for theft, shoplifting and burglary beginning at age 19. No one was hurt or threatened in any of these incidents. He has been using methamphetamine since he was 16 and committed the burglaries to feed his habit. Would you sentence him to...?

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* 1. A 24-year-old man commits five theft/burglaries within the space of three months. He has six previous convictions for theft, shoplifting and burglary beginning at age 19. No one was hurt or threatened in any of these incidents. He has been using methamphetamine since he was 16 and committed the burglaries to feed his habit. Would you sentence him to...?

A 20-year-old woman kills a 62-year-old woman in a drink driving accident. She was only marginally over the legal limit and says she has never driven under the influence of alcohol before. She has no previous convictions of any sort. She is clearly remorseful, attends a restorative justice meeting with the victim's family at which they forgive her - and she offers to pay $25,000 reparation to them. Would you sentence her to...?

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* 2. A 20-year-old woman kills a 62-year-old woman in a drink driving accident. She was only marginally over the legal limit and says she has never driven under the influence of alcohol before. She has no previous convictions of any sort. She is clearly remorseful, attends a restorative justice meeting with the victim's family at which they forgive her - and she offers to pay $25,000 reparation to them. Would you sentence her to...?

A 33-year-old man has been convicted of 23 charges for supply of Class A drug (methamphetamine) and four for cultivation and supply of Class C drug (cannabis). He has a long history of drug dependence going back to the age of 15. He has six previous drug convictions from the age of 18 but no other offending. He has mostly had a job despite his addictions and has never been sentenced to prison. He knows he has a serious drug problem & while on remand said he was hoping to attend a residential treatment centre. Would you sentence him to...?

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* 3. A 33-year-old man has been convicted of 23 charges for supply of Class A drug (methamphetamine) and four for cultivation and supply of Class C drug (cannabis). He has a long history of drug dependence going back to the age of 15. He has six previous drug convictions from the age of 18 but no other offending. He has mostly had a job despite his addictions and has never been sentenced to prison. He knows he has a serious drug problem & while on remand said he was hoping to attend a residential treatment centre. Would you sentence him to...?

A 50-year-old man has been convicted of being unlawfully in an enclosed yard, shoplifting, assaulting police, drink-driving, and driving in a dangerous manner. After being sexually abused as a child, this man turned into a 'very angry' teenager. He has a history of low mood, emotional dysregulation, chronically poor sleep and suicidal ideation. He has four previous convictions for drink-driving, other alcohol related offences including a sexual assault on a female and five cannabis related convictions. He has been sent to prison six times but has never been required to attend rehabilitation while inside. Would you sentence him to...?

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* 4. A 50-year-old man has been convicted of being unlawfully in an enclosed yard, shoplifting, assaulting police, drink-driving, and driving in a dangerous manner. After being sexually abused as a child, this man turned into a 'very angry' teenager. He has a history of low mood, emotional dysregulation, chronically poor sleep and suicidal ideation. He has four previous convictions for drink-driving, other alcohol related offences including a sexual assault on a female and five cannabis related convictions. He has been sent to prison six times but has never been required to attend rehabilitation while inside. Would you sentence him to...?

A 49-year-old man kills a woman in a drink driving accident. It’s his 18th conviction for drink driving. He also has 25 convictions for driving while disqualified and 62 other convictions for a variety of offences including ten for assault, all of which occurred when he had been drinking.

He was raised in a gang family. At the age of 17 he was shot in the head by a rival gang member. He survived but has had problems with impulse control and anger management ever since. He has also been drinking ever since and now has a lifelong history of alcoholism. He has been sent to prison 23 times. Would you sentence him to...?

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* 5. A 49-year-old man kills a woman in a drink driving accident. It’s his 18th conviction for drink driving. He also has 25 convictions for driving while disqualified and 62 other convictions for a variety of offences including ten for assault, all of which occurred when he had been drinking.

He was raised in a gang family. At the age of 17 he was shot in the head by a rival gang member. He survived but has had problems with impulse control and anger management ever since. He has also been drinking ever since and now has a lifelong history of alcoholism. He has been sent to prison 23 times. Would you sentence him to...?

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