Possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

Legislation: Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 (Vic) s 73(1)

Maximum penalty: 1 year imprisonment, 30 penalty units, or both (not related to trafficking); 5 years imprisonment, 400 penalty units, or both (related to trafficking)

Period: 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2023

Jurisdiction: Magistrates' Court

On SACStat, a charge is a single count of an offence
On SACStat, a case is a collection of one or more charges sentenced at a hearing

*Note: unavailable options have under 10 cases

Charge data

In the Magistrates' Court, 3,705 charges of possess prescription drugs (not further defined) were sentenced in the three years to 30 June 2023. The most common sentence for a charge of this offence was a fine (26.8% or 993 charges).

On SACStat, a charge is a single count of a sentenced offence. Charge data is most useful in understanding how a specific crime is usually sentenced.

Case data

In 2,640 cases sentenced in the Magistrates' Court in the three years to 30 June 2023, each case included at least one charge of possess prescription drugs (not further defined). Among the 2,640 cases, 2,041 people were male and 599 people were female. The most common outcome for cases was a fine (24.7% or 653 cases).

A case is a collection of one or more charges against a person or company sentenced at the one hearing. Case data is most useful in understanding the total sentence usually imposed on people found guilty of a particular crime.

Figure 1: Sentencing outcomes for all charges of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

Number: 3,705 charges

Bar graph showing sentence types imposed for charges of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

See Table 1 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 2: Imprisonment lengths for charges of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

Number: 27 charges

Bar graph showing imprisonment lengths for charges of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

Note: The graph only includes imprisonment that was not part of an aggregate sentence (non-aggregate imprisonment)

See Table 2 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 3: Community correction order lengths for charges of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

Number: 957 charges

Bar graph showing lengths of community correction orders for charges of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

See Table 3 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 4: Fine amounts for charges of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

Number: 51 charges

Note: The graph only includes fines that were not part of an aggregate sentence (non-aggregate fines).

Bar graph showing fine amounts for charges of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

See Table 4 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 5: Sentencing outcomes for all charges of possess prescription drugs (not further defined) by financial year

Number: 3,705 charges

Stacked bar graph showing sentences imposed each year for charges of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

See Table 5 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 6: Number of charges of possess prescription drugs (not further defined) by financial year

Number: 3,705 charges

Bar graph showing the number of charges each year for the offence of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

See Table 6 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 7: Average imprisonment lengths for charges of possess prescription drugs (not further defined) by financial year

Number: 27 charges

Note: The graph only includes imprisonment that was not part of an aggregate sentence (non-aggregate imprisonment).

Bar graph showing imprisonment lengths each year for charges of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

See Table 7 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 8: Average fine amounts for charges of possess prescription drugs (not further defined) by financial year

Number: 51 charges

Note: The graph only includes fines that were not part of an aggregate sentence (non-aggregate fines).

Bar graph showing fines amounts each year for charges of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

See Table 8 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 9A: Sentencing outcomes for all people for cases of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

Number: 2,640 cases

Bar graph showing sentence types for all offenders for cases of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

See Table 9A in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 9B: Sentencing outcomes for males for cases of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

Number: 2,041 cases

Bar graph showing sentence types for male offenders for cases of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

See Table 9B in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 9C: Sentencing outcomes for females for cases of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

Number: 599 cases

Bar graph showing sentence types for female offenders for cases of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

See Table 9C in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 9D: Sentencing outcomes for people aged under 25 for cases of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

Number: 445 cases

Bar graph showing sentence types for offenders aged under 25 for cases of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

See Table 9D in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 9E: Sentencing outcomes for people aged 25 to 54 for cases of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

Number: 2,140 cases

Bar graph showing sentence types for offenders aged 25 to 54 for cases of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

See Table 9E in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 9F: Sentencing outcomes for people aged 55 and over for cases of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

Number: 49 cases

Bar graph showing sentence types for offenders aged 55 and over for cases of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

See Table 9F in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 10: Imprisonment lengths for cases of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

Number: 894 cases, including imprisonment only (571 cases) and imprisonment combined with a community correction order (323 cases).

Bar graph showing imprisonment lengths for cases of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

See Table 10 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 11: Non-parole periods for all people for cases of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

Number: 571 cases

Note: Imprisonment terms do not include a community correction order.

Bar graph showing non-parole periods for cases of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

See Table 11 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 12: Community correction order lengths for cases of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

Number: 552 cases

Bar graph showing lengths of community correction orders for cases of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

See Table 12 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 13: Sentencing outcomes for all cases of possess prescription drugs (not further defined) by financial year

Number: 2,640 cases

Stacked bar graph showing sentences imposed each year for cases of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

See Table 13 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 14: Number of cases of possess prescription drugs (not further defined) for all people by financial year

Number: 2,640 cases

Bar graph showing the number of cases each year for cases of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

See Table 14 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 15: Average imprisonment lengths for cases of possess prescription drugs (not further defined) by financial year

Number: 894 cases

Bar graph showing the average imprisonment length each year for cases of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

See Table 15 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 16: Average imprisonment lengths and non-parole periods (NPPs) for cases of possess prescription drugs (not further defined) by financial year

Number: 77 cases

Note: NPP Cases in the graph indicates that only cases with a non-parole period are included.

Bar graph showing the average imprisonment length and average non-parole period for each year for cases of possess prescription drugs (not further defined)

See 16 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.