SUMMARY OF FINDINGS


PERSONS IN CORRECTIVE SERVICES

Number of prisoners

In the December quarter 2014, the average daily number of full-time prisoners in Australia was 34,647. This was an annual increase of 2,407 prisoners (8%) from the December quarter 2013, and a quarterly increase of 647 prisoners (2%) from the September quarter 2014. (Table 1)



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).

The average daily number of persons serving community-based corrections orders in the December quarter 2014 was 56,402 based on first day of the month averages. This was an annual increase of 621 persons (1%) from the December quarter 2013, and a quarterly increase from the September quarter 2014 of 333 persons (0.6%). However, there was a monthly decrease between November (56,528) and December 2014 (56,437) of 91 persons (0.2%). (Table 1 and 17)



PERSONS IN CUSTODY

Rates per 100,000 adult population

Nationally, the average daily imprisonment rate was 190 prisoners per 100,000 adult population in the December quarter 2014. The Northern Territory had the highest average daily imprisonment rate (878 prisoners per 100,000 adult population), followed by Western Australia (271 prisoners per 100,000 adult population).

The Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania had the lowest average daily imprisonment rates (114 prisoners per 100,000 adult population for both states).

Between the 2013 and 2014 December quarters, South Australia recorded the largest increase in the average daily imprisonment rate, from 181 to 200 prisoners per 100,000 adult population. Tasmania was the only jurisdiction to record a decrease in the imprisonment rate during the same period, from 121 to 114 prisoners per 100,000 adult population. (Table 3)



Sex

The average daily number of full-time prisoners in Australia in the December quarter 2014 was 31,928 males and 2,720 females. This represents an increase in the average daily number of males in custody of 7% (2,193 prisoners) and females of 9% (215 prisoners) from the December quarter 2013.

In the December quarter 2014, the average daily imprisonment rate for males was 354 prisoners per 100,000 adult male population, which was 12 times the rate for females (29 female prisoners per 100,000 adult female population). (Tables 4 and 5)


Type of full-time custody

In the December quarter 2014, the average daily number of prisoners in secure prison custody was 27,191 (78% of prisoners in full-time custody), an increase of 8% (2,038 prisoners) from the December quarter 2013. The jurisdictions with the highest proportion of prisoners in secure prison custody were Tasmania (98% or 446 prisoners) and the Australian Capital Territory (97% or 331 prisoners).

Open prison custody comprised 7,456 prisoners (22%) in the December quarter 2014, an increase of 5% (369 prisoners) from the December quarter 2013. (Table 6)


Legal status

Legal status refers to where a person may be either sentenced or unsentenced depending on the warrant(s) or court order(s) that provide the legal basis for the administration of the person through the criminal justice system.

During the December quarter 2014, the average number of prisoners in full-time custody on the first day of the month was 34,609, comprising 25,932 (75%) sentenced and 8,677 (25%) unsentenced prisoners.

Sentenced prisoners increased by:

• 6% (1,448 prisoners) from the December quarter 2013, and
• 1% (366 prisoners) from the September quarter 2014.

Unsentenced prisoners increased by:

• 13% (995 prisoners) from the December quarter 2013, and
• 4% (313 prisoners) from the September quarter 2014. (Table 8)

Sentenced prisoner receptions

Sentenced prisoner receptions refers to entry into corrective services custody from the community, having received a sentence of imprisonment as an outcome of a court proceeding; or persons who are sentenced to custody while in custody on remand (i.e. changed status from an unsentenced to a sentenced prisoner); or persons entering custody as a result of defaulting on the payment of a fine. Sentenced prisoners in custody who receive a further sentence of imprisonment are not counted as sentenced receptions.

In the December quarter 2014, there were 9,111 sentenced prisoner receptions into full-time prison custody in Australia. This equates to an annual increase of 1% (120) from the December quarter 2013, and a quarterly increase of 0.6% (51) from the September quarter 2014. (Table 10)


Federal prisoners

Federal prisoners are persons charged and sentenced under a Commonwealth statute or transferred from another country to serve their sentence in Australia.

Based on first day of the month figures during the December quarter 2014, the average daily number of federal sentenced prisoners in Australia was 878. This was an annual increase of 8% (67 prisoners) from the December quarter 2013, and a quarterly increase of less than 1% (5 prisoners) from the September quarter 2014.

Half (435 or 50%) of all federal prisoners were sentenced in New South Wales. (Table 12)


Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners

In the December quarter 2014, the average daily number of full-time Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adult prisoners in Australia was 9,483, comprising 8,537 (90%) males and 946 (10%) females.

Between the 2013 and 2014 December quarters, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males in custody increased by 6% (497 prisoners) and females by 12% (104 prisoners).

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners represented 27% of the total full-time adult prisoner population in the December quarter 2014. The total Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population aged 18 years and over in 2014 was approximately 2% of the Australian population aged 18 years and over (based on Australian Demographic Statistics (cat. no. 3101.0) and Estimates and Projections, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, 2001 to 2026 (cat. no. 3238.0)).

Three states accounted for nearly three-quarters of the total Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoner population: New South Wales (2,464 or 26%), Queensland (2,285 or 24%) and Western Australia (2,127 or 22%). (Table 13)

In the December quarter 2014, the national average daily Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate was 2,226 prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. This was an increase of 76 prisoners per 100,000 adult population from the December quarter 2013, and an increase of 41 prisoners per 100,000 adult population from the September quarter 2014. (Table 14)



Between the 2013 and 2014 December quarters, the imprisonment rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males increased by 3% to 4,069 prisoners per 100,000 adult male Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. The imprisonment rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander females increased by 9% to 438 prisoners per 100,000 adult female Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population over the same period.

Based on daily averages, the highest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate for the December quarter 2014 was recorded in Western Australia (3,748 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population), followed by the Northern Territory (2,987 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population) and South Australia (2,502 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population).



Between the 2013 and 2014 December quarters, the largest increases in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate were recorded in South Australia (an increase of 214 prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population) and Victoria (an increase of 152 prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population). Over the same period, New South Wales recorded the only decrease in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate (a decrease of 18 prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population). (Table 14)

In the December quarter 2014, of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoner population based on first day of the month figures (9,443 prisoners), 75% (7,084 prisoners) were sentenced and 25% (2,359 prisoners) were unsentenced.

Unsentenced Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners increased by 8% (164 prisoners) from the December quarter 2013.

Sentenced Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners increased by:

• 6% (429 prisoners) from the December quarter 2013, and
• 2% (160 prisoners) from the September quarter 2014. (Table 15)

PERSONS IN COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONS

All reported daily averages for number of persons serving community-based corrections orders are based on first day of the month figures. For more information, please refer to paragraphs 2 and 12 in the Explanatory Notes.

Rates per 100,000 adult population

In the December quarter 2014, the national rate of persons in community-based corrections was 309 persons per 100,000 adult population based on first day of the month figures. There was a decrease of less than 1% (2 persons per 100,000 adult population) from the December quarter 2013. (Table 18)




Sex

Based on first day of the month figures, the average daily number of persons serving community-based corrections orders was 56,402 in the December quarter 2014. Of these, 46,025 (82%) were male and 10,350 (18%) were female. (Table 17)

In the December quarter 2014, the rate of community-based corrections for males was 511 per 100,000 adult male population, compared to 112 females per 100,000 adult female population. (Table 18)


Type of orders

Based on first day of the month figures, the average daily number of persons serving community service orders in the December quarter 2014 was 9,017, an annual increase of 258 persons (3%) from the December quarter 2013. The largest increase was recorded in Victoria (234 persons or 30%). The largest decrease was recorded in Tasmania (173 persons or 13%).

In the December quarter 2014, the average daily number of persons on parole was 12,514, an annual increase of 59 persons (0.5%) from the December quarter 2013. The largest decrease in parole orders over this period was recorded in Victoria (239 persons or 17%). The largest increase in parole orders over this period was recorded in Queensland (358 persons or 8%). (Table 19)


Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons in community-based corrections

Based on first day of the month averages, the average daily number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons in community-based corrections for the December quarter 2014 was 11,431, an increase of 76 persons (0.7%) from the September quarter 2014 and a slight decrease of 48 persons (0.4%) from the December quarter 2013.

There was a decrease in the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons in community-based corrections of 82 persons (0.7%) between November and December 2014.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders represented 20% of the total number of persons in community-based corrections in the December quarter 2014.

Approximately 75% of the total Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-based corrections population was located in three states: Queensland (3,744), New South Wales (3,531) and Western Australia (1,328). (Table 20)