Many firearms offenders sentenced in Victoria's higher court are entrenched within the criminal justice system, a report into sentencing practices has found.
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The report released by the Sentencing Advisory Council on Wednesday identified an increase in firearms offences being sentenced in Victorian courts.
There was a 34 percent increase in firearms offences sentenced in Victorian courts over the report's reference period of 2012-13 to 2016-17.
Firearms offences are often associated with other types of criminal activity.
Sixty-eight percent of offenders being sentenced had been charged with two other offences, as well as the firearms case.
The majority of adult offenders were male, with the average age of a firearms offenders being 34 years old.
Eighty-four percent of charges sentenced in the higher courts resulted in imprisonment.
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