In 1991, theft (including shoplifting but excluding motor vehicles) and breaking and entering represented the most common offenses, accounting for 47.5 percent of all recorded offenses. Motor vehicle thefts accounted for 11 percent of all recorded offenses. The Sydney Statistical Division experienced 67 percent of all crime in New South Wales. Driving and drug offenses had high clearance rates, while property crimes had very low clearance rates. In 1991, 22,419 drug offenses were recorded, along with 110 homicides, 5,214 aggravated assaults, 4,077 sexual assaults, 56,940 household burglaries, 5,973 robberies, and 51,936 motor vehicle thefts. Overall, for each 100 persons convicted in 1991, nine were given detention sentences; 56 in every 100 offenders were fined. Juveniles were most likely to be put on a good behavior bond. The structure of the criminal justice system in New South Wales is described. Data are provided on trends in criminal court appearances, police cautions, offender ages, court workloads, bail, plea bargaining, conviction rates, appeals, sentencing, the prison population, and criminal justice costs. 23 references, 1 table, and 24 figures