It is argued that the State government sought to manage the social tensions that resulted from economic transition of the 70's and 80's through coercive methods and most notably through the criminal justice system. This argument is developed through an analysis of Queensland's use of the legal system, its pattern of social services, and its law and order expenditures in comparison to other States. The changing patterns in Queensland's summary courts are consistent with the drift to coercion which was identified in the analysis of the State's response to its social and economic difficulties. (Author abstract)