SUMMARY OF FINDINGS


PERSONS IN CORRECTIVE SERVICES

Number of prisoners

In the December quarter 2013, the average daily number of full-time prisoners in Australia was 32,240 persons. This was an increase of:

• 2,378 persons (8%) from the December quarter 2012, and
• 1,011 persons (3%) from the September quarter 2013.

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 December quarter 2013, there were 55,781 persons in community-based corrections, based on first day of the month averages. This was an increase of:

• 1,678 persons (3%) from the December quarter 2012, and
• 716 persons (1%) from the September quarter 2013. (Table 1)

PERSONS IN CUSTODY

Rates per 100,000 adults

Nationally, the December quarter 2013 average daily imprisonment rate was 180 prisoners per 100,000 adult population. The Northern Territory had the highest imprisonment rate (861 prisoners per 100,000 adult population), followed by Western Australia (255 prisoners per 100,000 adult population).

The Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania had the lowest imprisonment rates (113 and 121 prisoners per 100,000 adult population respectively).

Between the December quarter 2012 and December quarter 2013, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria recorded the largest increases in imprisonment rates (22 and 14 prisoners per 100,000 adult population respectively). Western Australia and Tasmania recorded the largest decreases (9 and 2 prisoners per 100,000 adult population respectively). (Table 3)

Sex

The average daily number of full-time prisoners in Australia in the December quarter 2013 was 29,735 males and 2,505 females. This represents an increase in the average daily number of males in custody of 8% (2,134) and females 13% (285) from the December quarter 2012. The average daily imprisonment rate for males was 336 prisoners per 100,000 adult male population; which was 12 times the rate for females (28 female prisoners per 100,000 adult female population). (Tables 4 & 5)


Type of full-time custody

In the December quarter 2013, the average daily number of prisoners in secure prison custody was 25,153 (78% of prisoners in full-time custody). Open prison custody comprised 7,087 prisoners (22%).

The jurisdictions with the highest proportion of prisoners in secure prison custody were Tasmania, Australian Capital Territory and South Australia (98%, 96%, and 91% respectively). (Table 6)


Legal status

During the December quarter 2013, the average number of prisoners in full-time custody on the first day of each month was 32,166, comprising 24,484 (76%) sentenced and 7,682 (24%) unsentenced prisoners.

Sentenced prisoners increased by:

• 8% from the December quarter 2012, and
• 4% from the September quarter 2013.

Unsentenced prisoners increased by:

• 9% from the December quarter 2012, and
• 2% from the September quarter 2013.

South Australia (34%), New South Wales and the Northern Territory (both 28%) had the highest proportions of unsentenced prisoners. The lowest proportions of unsentenced prisoners were recorded in Victoria (17%) and Tasmania (19%). (Table 8)

Sentenced prisoner receptions

In the December quarter 2013, there were 8,991 sentenced prisoner receptions into full-time prison custody in Australia; a marginal increase of 1% (69) from the September quarter 2013 and an increase of 3% (283) from the December quarter 2012. (Table 10)


Federal prisoners

In the December quarter 2013, there were 811 federal sentenced prisoners in Australia based on first day of the month figures, a decrease of 16% from the December quarter 2012. Just over half (416) of the federal prisoners were sentenced in New South Wales. (Table 12)


Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners

In the December quarter 2013, the average daily number of full-time Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adult prisoners in Australia was 8,881, comprising 8,040 (91%) males and 842 (9%) females.

Between December quarter 2012 and December quarter 2013, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males in custody increased 9% (671 persons) and females 13% (95 persons).

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners represented 28% of the total full-time prisoner population in the December 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 (2,412), Queensland (2,058) and Western Australia (1,982). (Table 13)

In the December quarter 2013, the national average daily Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate was 2,461 per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. This was an increase of:

• 144 prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population from the December quarter 2012, and
• 92 prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population from the September quarter 2013.

Between the December quarter 2012 and the December quarter 2013, the imprisonment rate for males increased by 6% to 4,546 per 100,000 adult male Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. The imprisonment rate for females increased 9% to 457 females per 100,000 adult female Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population over the same period.

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 2013 was 15 times higher (1,977 per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population) than the rate for non-Indigenous persons (131 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, 2013 (cat. no. 4517.0).

Based on daily averages, the highest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate for the December quarter 2013 was recorded in Western Australia (4,033 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population), followed by the Northern Territory (2,970) and South Australia (2,733).

Between the December quarter 2012, and the December quarter 2013, the largest increases in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate were recorded in Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory (350 and 349 prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population respectively). The largest decrease over the same period was recorded in Western Australia (93 prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population). (Table 14)

In the December quarter 2013, of the full-time Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoner population, 75% (6,655) were sentenced and 25% (2,195) were unsentenced.

Sentenced Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners increased:

• 8% (465) from the December quarter 2012, and
• 3% (224) from the September quarter 2013.

Unsentenced Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners increased:

• 16% (295) from the December quarter 2012, and
• 5% (111) from the September quarter 2013. (Table 15)

PERSONS IN COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONS

Rates per 100,000 adults

In the December quarter 2013, the national rate of persons in community-based corrections was 311 persons per 100,000 adult population based on first day of the month figures. This was a marginal increase (1%) from the December quarter 2012 (307 persons per 100,000 adults). (Table 18)

Sex

Based on first day of the month averages, community-based corrections totalled 55,781 persons in the December quarter 2013. Of these 45,518 (82%) were male and 10,220 (18%) were female. (Table 17)

In the December quarter 2013, the rate of community-based corrections for males was 514 per 100,000 adult male population compared to 112 females per 100,000 adult female population. (Table 18)


Type of orders

In the December quarter 2013, there were 8,759 persons serving community service orders, an increase of 854 persons (11%) from the December quarter 2012. The largest increase was recorded in Queensland (325 persons or 20%). The largest decrease in numbers over this period was recorded in South Australia (149 persons or 16%).

There were 12,455 persons on parole in the December quarter 2013, a decrease of 233 persons (2%) from the December quarter 2012. The largest decrease in parole orders was recorded in Victoria (380 persons or 22%) from the December 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 December quarter 2013 was 11,479; an increase of 44 persons from the previous quarter. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders represented 21% of the total number of persons in community-based corrections in the December quarter 2013.

Approximately 75% of the total Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-based corrections population was located in three states: Queensland (3,658), New South Wales (3,468) and Western Australia (1,496). (Table 20)