4512.0 - Corrective Services, Australia, Jun 2003  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 25/09/2003   
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SUMMARY OF FINDINGS


NUMBER OF PRISONERS

PERSONS IN PRISON CUSTODY, Average daily number–Australia
Graph - Persons in Prison Custody, Average daily number - Australia.


In the June quarter 2003, the average daily number of prisoners in Australia was 22,507, an increase of 322 (1%) on the March quarter 2003. This is the highest level on a quarterly basis since the collection commenced in the March quarter 1998. The average daily number of prisoners in Australia increased by 813 (4%) over the year from the June quarter 2002.

RATES PER 100,000 ADULTS
AVERAGE DAILY IMPRISONMENT RATE(a)
Graph - Avera Daily Imprisonment Rate (a).
(a) Rate per 100,000 adult population

Nationally, the average daily imprisonment rate was 149 prisoners per 100,000 adult population during the June quarter 2003, an increase of 2% since the June quarter 2002. The Northern Territory had the highest imprisonment rate (549 prisoners per 100,000 adult population), representing a 16% increase since the June quarter 2002 (the Indigenous imprisonment rate in the Northern Territory increased by 33% over this same time period). The next highest imprisonment rates were recorded in Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales (198, 183 and 155 prisoners per 100,000 adult population respectively).


SEX

Of the average daily number of prisoners in Australia in the June quarter 2003, 21,001 (93%) were male and 1,506 (7%) were female.


INDIGENOUS PRISONERS

INDIGENOUS PERSONS IMPRISONMENT RATE(a)
Graph - Indigenous Persons Imprisonment Rate (a).
(a) Rate per 100,000 adult Indigenous population

The national rate of imprisonment for Indigenous persons for the June quarter 2003 was 1,907 per 100,000 adult Indigenous population, an increase of 7% since the June quarter 2002.


INDIGENOUS IMPRISONMENT RATE(a)
Graph - Indigenous Imprisonment Rate (a)
(a) Rate per 100,000 adult Indigenous population, based on first day of month

The highest rate of imprisonment for Indigenous persons was recorded in Western Australia (2,846 Indigenous persons per 100,000 adult Indigenous population) followed by New South Wales (2,128), the Northern Territory (1,768) and Queensland (1,710). The Northern Territory recorded the highest proportional increase in the Indigenous rate of imprisonment (33%) between the June quarters 2002 and 2003. Over this same time period in the Northern Territory, there has been an increase in the number of Indigenous persons sentenced to imprisonment for a range of assault and driving offences. Western Australia recorded the next highest proportional increase (12%). Tasmania, Queensland and Victoria recorded decreases in the Indigenous rate of imprisonment since the June quarter 2002 of 18%, 3% and 2% respectively. Nationally, the Indigenous rate of imprisonment was 16 times the non-Indigenous rate. The highest ratios of Indigenous to non-Indigenous rates of imprisonment were recorded in Western Australia and New South Wales with Indigenous rates of imprisonment 22 and 17 times the non-Indigenous rates respectively.


TYPE OF CUSTODY

In the June quarter 2003, the average daily number of prisoners in secure prison custody was 16,304 (72%). The remaining prisoners were held in open prison custody. The highest proportions of prisoners held in secure custody were recorded in Victoria (89%) and South Australia (88%). The states and territories with the lowest proportions of prisoners in secure prison custody were the Australian Capital Territory (including Australian Capital Territory prisoners held in New South Wales prisons) with 51% and New South Wales with 55%. The number of persons held in open prison custody in Queensland increased by 90 (11%) between the June quarter 2002 and the June quarter 2003.


LEGAL STATUS AND SENTENCE TYPE

Of the total prison population of 22,461, the average number of unsentenced prisoners on the first day of the month was 4,878 (22%) for the June quarter 2003, the same proportion as in the March quarter 2003. South Australia had the highest proportion of unsentenced prisoners (33%). The lowest proportion of unsentenced prisoners was recorded in Western Australia (16%).
PERSONS IN PRISON CUSTODY, Proportion unsentenced
Graph - Persons in Prison Custody, Proportion unsentenced.


SENTENCED RECEPTIONS

In the June quarter 2003, there were 5,983 sentenced receptions in Australia. The number of sentenced receptions decreased by 236 (4%) compared with the June quarter 2002, and there were 38 (1%) less than in the March quarter 2003. Decreases in sentenced receptions between the June quarters 2002 and 2003 were recorded by Tasmania, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory - including Australian Capital Territory prisoners held in New South Wales prisons - (36%, 19% and 7% respectively). The Northern Territory recorded an increase of 73 (43%) and South Australia an increase of 83 (34%) in the number of sentenced receptions during the same period.


PERIODIC DETENTION

Periodic detention is a form of custody only used in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. During the June quarter 2003 there was an average daily number of 830 persons in New South Wales and 75 persons in the Australian Capital Territory held in periodic detention. In total, this was a decrease of 46 (5%) on the June quarter 2002 and a decrease of 13 (1%) since the March quarter 2003.


FEDERAL PRISONERS

In the June quarter 2003, there were 705 federal prisoners in Australia, a decrease of 68 (9%) since the June quarter 2002 and a decrease of 7 (1%) since the March quarter 2003. The Northern Territory recorded the largest actual and proportional decrease in federal prisoners of 56 (57%) between the June quarters 2002 and 2003. This decrease in the Northern Territory is a result of a decline in imprisonments for federal offences associated with the illegal entry of persons into Australia.


PERSONS IN COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONS

In the June quarter 2003, the number of persons in community-based corrections in Australia was 51,206, a decrease of 2,319 (4%) since the June quarter 2002 and an increase of 213 (less than 1%) since the March quarter 2003. In contrast to the increase in the prisoner population, Queensland recorded a decrease of 2,320 (17%) in the number of persons in community-based corrections between the June quarters 2002 and 2003.

Rates per 100,000 adults

Nationally, the rate of persons in community-based corrections was 339 persons per 100,000 adult population for the June quarter 2003. This is a 6% decrease on the rate of persons in community-based corrections in the June quarter 2002, and unchanged from the March quarter 2003.
COMMUNITY–BASED CORRECTIONS RATE(a)—June quarter 2003
Community-Based Corrections Rate (a) - June quarter 2003.
(a) Rate per 100,000 adult population

Type of order

The most common orders served for community-based corrections were sentenced probation (30,176) followed by community service (11,794) and parole (8,514). Sentenced probation was the most common order served in each of the jurisdictions.