SUMMARY OF FINDINGS


PERSONS IN CORRECTIVE SERVICES

Based on first day of the month averages, for the September quarter 2012 there were 29,392 persons in full-time custody and 54,511 persons in community-based corrections. This comprises an increase of 351 persons (1%) in full-time custody from the September quarter 2011, and a decrease of 34 persons (less than 1%) in community-based corrections for the same period.


Number of prisoners

During the September quarter 2012, the average daily number of full-time prisoners in Australia was 29,385 persons. This was a decrease of 97 persons (less than 1%) from the June quarter 2012.

Number of persons in community-based corrections

Community-based corrections orders are non-custodial orders served under the authority of adult corrective services agencies and include restricted movement, reparations (fine options and community service) and supervision orders (parole, bail, and sentenced probation). In the September quarter 2012, there were 54,511 persons in community-based corrections in Australia based on first day of the month averages, an increase of 267 persons (less than 1%) from the June quarter 2012.

PERSONS IN CUSTODY

Rates per 100,000 adults

Nationally, the September quarter 2012 average daily imprisonment rate was 168 prisoners per 100,000 adult population, an increase of 1% from the September quarter 2011. The Northern Territory had the highest imprisonment rate (822 prisoners per 100,000 adult population), followed by Western Australia (265) and New South Wales (171).

The Australian Capital Territory and Victoria had the lowest imprisonment rates (95 and 113 prisoners per 100,000 adult population respectively).

The Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory recorded the largest proportional increases in imprisonment rates from the September quarter 2011 (13% and 10% respectively). The largest proportional decreases over the same period were recorded in Tasmania (8%) and New South Wales (3%).

Sex

The average daily number of full-time prisoners in Australia in the September quarter 2012 was 29,385, comprising 27,200 (93%) males and 2,185 (7%) females. The average daily imprisonment rate for males was 315 prisoners per 100,000 adult male population; more than 12 times the rate for females (25 female prisoners per 100,000 adult female population).


Type of full-time custody

The average daily number of prisoners in secure prison custody in the September quarter 2012 was 22,886 (78% of prisoners in full-time custody). Open prison custody comprised 6,499 prisoners (22%).

The Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania had the highest proportion of prisoners in secure custody (both 97%), followed by Queensland (92%) and South Australia (90%).


Legal status

The average number of prisoners in full-time custody on the first day of each month in the September quarter 2012 was 29,392, comprising an average of 22,430 (76%) sentenced and 6,961 (24%) unsentenced prisoners. Sentenced prisoners decreased by less than 1% from the previous quarter and increased by 1% from the September quarter 2011.

Unsentenced prisoners decreased by 1% (103) from the June quarter 2012 and increased by 3% (171) from the September quarter 2011. The Australian Capital Territory and South Australia had the highest proportions of unsentenced prisoners (35% and 31% respectively). The lowest proportions of unsentenced prisoners were recorded in Tasmania (17%) and Western Australia (20%).

Sentenced prisoner receptions

There were 8,338 sentenced prisoner receptions into full-time custody in Australia in the September quarter 2012; an increase of 2% (179) from the June quarter 2012 and an increase of 4% (293) from the September quarter 2011.


Periodic detention

Periodic detention is a form of custody or order where a sentenced prisoner is required to be held in custody on a part-time basis. This type of custody order is currently only used in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. This program has ceased in New South Wales from October 2010, but some prisoners are still undertaking pre-existing sentences.

During the September quarter 2012 there was an average daily number of 19 persons in New South Wales and 45 persons in the Australian Capital Territory held in periodic detention. The rate of imprisonment for periodic detainees decreased by 25% in New South Wales from the June quarter 2012 (from 0.4 to 0.3 per 100,000 adult population), and decreased by 13% in the Australian Capital Territory (from 18 to 16 per 100,000 adult population).


Federal prisoners

In the September quarter 2012, there were 956 federal sentenced prisoners in Australia based on first day of the month figures, an increase of 6% from the September quarter 2011 and a decrease of 1% from the June quarter 2012. Just under half (458) of the federal prisoners were sentenced in New South Wales.

The two states with the largest increase in numbers over the twelve months to the September quarter 2012 were New South Wales 39 persons (9%) and Queensland 15 persons (13%).


Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners

The average daily number of full-time Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adult prisoners in Australia in the September quarter 2012 was 7,904, comprising 7,189 (91%) males and 715 (9%) females. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males in custody increased 4% (260 persons) and females 15% (95 persons) from the September quarter 2011. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners represented 27% of the total full-time prisoner population in the September quarter 2012, the same proportion as for the June quarter 2012. The total Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population aged 18 years and over at 30 June 2011 was 2% of the Australian population.

Three states accounted for approximately 73% of the total Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoner population: New South Wales (2,164), Western Australia (1,942) and Queensland (1,669).

The national average daily Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate in the September quarter 2012 was 2,256 per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, a decrease of 1% from the previous quarter and an increase of 2% from the September quarter 2011.

The imprisonment rate for males increased from the September quarter 2011 by 1% to 4,191 per 100,000 adult male Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. The imprisonment rate for females increased 12% to 400 females per 100,000 adult female Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population over the same period. The imprisonment rate for males is more than 10 times the rate for females.

Different age profiles of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous population can affect imprisonment rate numbers. While this quarterly statistical collection is unable to take age into account, data from the Prisoner Census collection can provide this level of detail.

The national age standardised Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate from the annual Prisoner Census conducted at June 2011 was 14 times higher (1,868 per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population) than the rate for non-Indigenous persons (130 per 100,000 adult non-Indigenous population). Further information on the comparison of imprisonment rates between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous populations can be found in Prisoners in Australia, 2011 (cat. no. 4517.0).

The highest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate was recorded in Western Australia (4,057 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population), followed by the Northern Territory (2,695) and South Australia (2,515). The lowest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate was recorded in Tasmania (594), followed by Victoria (1,564).

The largest proportional increase in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate from the September quarter 2011 was recorded in the Australian Capital Territory (44%), followed by Victoria (17%). The largest proportional decreases over the same period were recorded in New South Wales (6%) and Queensland (3%).

Of the full-time Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoner population 76% (6,030) were sentenced and 24% (1,876) unsentenced in the September quarter 2012. Unsentenced Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners decreased 4% (82) from the June quarter 2012, and increased 5% (89) from the September quarter 2011. Sentenced Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners increased less than 1% (18) from the June quarter 2012, and 4% (229) from the September quarter 2011.


PERSONS IN COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONS

Rates per 100,000 adults

Nationally, the rate of persons in community-based corrections was 311 persons per 100,000 adult population for the September quarter 2012 based on first day of the month figures. This was a decrease of less than 1% from the September quarter 2011 (312 persons per 100,000 adults). The largest decreases from the September quarter 2011 were recorded in Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory (both 11%), whilst the largest increases were recorded in Tasmania (12%) and the Northern Territory (11%).

Sex

Based on first day of the month averages, there were 54,511 persons in community-based corrections in Australia in the September quarter 2012, of these 44,676 (82%) were male and 9,791 (18%) were female.

In the September quarter 2012, the rate of community-based corrections for males was 517 per 100,000 adult male population compared to 110 females per 100,000 adult female population. The community-based corrections rate for males was more than four times that of females.


Type of orders

In the September quarter 2012 there were 8,427 persons serving community service orders, a decrease of 657 persons (7%) from the September quarter 2011. The largest decreases in numbers over this period were recorded in Queensland (296 persons or 15%), South Australia (206 persons or 18%) and New South Wales (196 persons or 7%). The largest increase was recorded in Tasmania (206 persons or 21%).

There were 12,684 persons on parole in the September quarter 2012, an increase of 549 persons (5%) from the September quarter 2011. The largest increases in numbers over this period were recorded in Queensland (257 persons or 6%), New South Wales (188 persons or 4%) and Victoria (95 persons or 6%). These three states accounted for approximately 87% of persons serving parole orders. The largest decreases in parole orders from the September quarter 2011 were recorded in South Australia (34 persons or 4%) and Western Australia (6 persons or 1%).


Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in community-based corrections

Based on first day of the month averages, the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in community-based corrections for the September quarter was 10,968; an increase of 1% (118 persons) from the previous quarter. The largest proportional increase in the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in community-based corrections from the June quarter was recorded in the Northern Territory (12% or 97 persons) followed by Tasmania (5% or 12 persons). The largest proportional decreases were in the Australian Capital Territory (9% or 15 persons) and South Australia (4% or 34 persons). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders represented 20% of the total number of persons in community-based corrections in the September quarter 2012.

Approximately 75% of the total Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-based corrections population was located in three states: New South Wales (3,425), Queensland (3,393) and Western Australia (1,398).