SUMMARY OF FINDINGS


PERSONS IN CORRECTIVE SERVICES

Based on first day of the month averages, for the September quarter 2013 there were 31,143 persons in full-time custody and 55,065 persons in community-based corrections. This comprises an increase of 1,751 persons (6%) in full-time custody from the September quarter 2012, and an increase of 584 persons (1.1%) in community-based corrections for the same period. (Table 1)

Number of prisoners

During the September quarter 2013, the average daily number of full-time prisoners in Australia was 31,229 persons. This was an increase of 417 persons (1%) from the June quarter 2013. (Table 2)




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). There was an increase of 1,033 persons (2%) serving community-based corrections from the June quarter 2013. (Table 1)




PERSONS IN CUSTODY

Rates per 100,000 adults

Nationally, the September quarter 2013 average daily imprisonment rate was 175 prisoners per 100,000 adult population. The Northern Territory had the highest imprisonment rate (814 prisoners per 100,000 adult population), followed by Western Australia (256) and New South Wales (176).

The Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania had the lowest imprisonment rates (107 and 117 prisoners per 100,000 adult population respectively).

Victoria and South Australia recorded the largest proportional increases in imprisonment rates from the September quarter 2012 (both 9%). Tasmania and the Western Australia recorded the largest proportional decreases (5% and 3% respectively). (Table 3)




Sex

The average daily number of full-time prisoners in Australia in the September quarter 2013 was 28,811 males and 2,418 females. This represents an increase in the average daily number of males in custody of 6% (1,611) and females 11% (233) from the September quarter 2012. The average daily imprisonment rate for males was 327 prisoners per 100,000 adult male population; more than 12 times the rate for females (27 female prisoners per 100,000 adult female population). (Tables 4 & 5)

Type of full-time custody

The average daily number of prisoners in secure prison custody in the September quarter 2013 was 24,371 (78% of prisoners in full-time custody). Open prison custody comprised 6,858 prisoners (22%).

Excluding Tasmania, which has recently recommenced open custody sentencing, the states with the highest proportion of prisoners in secure custody were Australian Capital Territory, Queensland and South Australia (96%, 91% and 91% respectively). (Table 6)

Legal status

The average number of prisoners in full-time custody on the first day of each month in the September quarter 2013 was 31,143, comprising an average of 23,591 (76%) sentenced and 7,552 (24%) unsentenced prisoners. Sentenced prisoners increased by 5% from the previous quarter and 2% from the September quarter 2012.

Unsentenced prisoners decreased by 1% from the previous quarter and increase 8% from the September quarter 2012. South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory had the highest proportions of unsentenced prisoners (34% and 30% respectively). The lowest proportions of unsentenced prisoners were recorded in Victoria (18%) and Western Australia (20%). (Table 8)




Sentenced prisoner receptions

There were 8,922 sentenced prisoner receptions into full-time custody in Australia in the June quarter 2013; an increase of 5% (412) from the June quarter 2013 and an increase of 8% (679) from the September quarter 2012. (Table 10)

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 sentencing option has been discontinued in New South Wales from October 2010, but some prisoners are still undertaking pre-existing sentences.

During the September quarter 2013, there was an average daily number of 8 persons in New South Wales and 46 persons in the Australian Capital Territory held in periodic detention. (Table 11)

Federal prisoners

In the September quarter 2013, there were 810 federal sentenced prisoners in Australia based on first day of the month figures, a decrease of 15% from the September quarter 2012 and a decrease of 4% from the June quarter 2013. Just over half (424) of the federal prisoners were sentenced in New South Wales.

The two states with the largest decrease in federal sentenced prisoners over the twelve months to the September quarter 2013 were Western Australia (71 persons or 43%) and New South Wales (34 persons or 7%). The largest increase over the same period was recorded in Victoria (27 persons or 21%). (Table 12)

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 2013 was 8,551, comprising 7,753 (91%) males and 798 (9%) females.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males in custody increased 8% (564 persons) and females 12% (83 persons) from the September quarter 2012. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners represented 27% of the total full-time prisoner population in the September quarter 2013. 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 (2,342), Western Australia (1,980) and Queensland (1,946). (Table 13)

The national average daily Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate in the September quarter 2013 was 2,369 per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, a 0% increase from the previous quarter and 5% from the September quarter 2012.




The imprisonment rate for males increased from the September quarter 2012 by 5% to 4,384 per 100,000 adult male Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. The imprisonment rate for females increased 8% to 434 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. The national age standardised Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate from the annual Prisoner Census conducted at 30 June 2012 was 15 times higher (1,914 per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population) than the rate for non-Indigenous persons (129 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 are published in Prisoners in Australia, 2012 (cat. no. 4517.0).

Based on daily averages, the highest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate for the September quarter 2013 was recorded in Western Australia (4,029 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population), followed by the Northern Territory (2,777) and South Australia (2,599). The lowest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate was recorded in Tasmania (513), followed by Victoria (1,741).




The largest proportional increases in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate from the September quarter 2012 were recorded in the Australian Capital Territory and Queensland (24% and 13 % resepectively). The largest proportional decrease over the same period was recorded in Tasmania (14%). (Table 14)

Of the full-time Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoner population, 76% (6,431) were sentenced and 24% (2,084) unsentenced in the September quarter 2013. Unsentenced Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners decreased 5% (116) from the June quarter 2013, and increased 11% (208) from the September quarter 2012. Sentenced Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners increased 1% (72) from the June quarter 2013, and 7% (401) from the September quarter 2012. (Table 15)


PERSONS IN COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONS

Rates per 100,000 adults

Nationally, the rate of persons in community-based corrections was 308 persons per 100,000 adult population for the September quarter 2013, based on first day of the month figures. This was a decrease of 1% from the September quarter 2012 (311 persons per 100,000 adults). The largest decreases from the September quarter 2012 were recorded in South Australia (4%), and New South Wales (3%), whilst the largest increases were recorded in the Northern Territory (8%) and Tasmania (5%).







Sex

Based on first day of the month averages, there were 55,065 persons in community-based corrections in Australia in the September quarter 2013, of these 45,067 (82%) were male and 9,970 (18%) were female. (Table 17)

In the September quarter 2013, the rate of community-based corrections for males was 511 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. (Table 18)

Type of orders

In the September quarter 2013, there were 8,541 persons serving community service orders, an increase of 450 persons (6%) from the September quarter 2012. The largest increase was recorded in Tasmania (138 persons or 12%). The largest decrease in numbers over this period were recorded in South Australia (140 persons or 15%).

There were 12,766 persons on parole in the September quarter 2013, an increase of 83 persons (1%) from the September quarter 2012. The largest increases in numbers over this period were recorded in Western Australia (121 persons or 28%), South Australia (55 persons or 6%) and Queensland (48 persons or 1%). Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria accounted for approximately 84% of persons serving parole orders. A decrease in parole orders was recorded in Victoria (163 persons or 9%) from the September quarter 2012. (Table 19)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons in community-based corrections

Based on first day of the month averages, the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons in community-based corrections for the September quarter 2013 was 11,435; an increase of 3% (329 persons) from the previous quarter. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders represented 21% of the total number of persons in community-based corrections in the September quarter 2013.

Approximately 75% of the total Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-based corrections population was located in three states: Queensland (3,627), New South Wales (3,443) and Western Australia (1,500). (Table 20)