SUMMARY OF FINDINGS


PERSONS IN CORRECTIVE SERVICES

Number of prisoners

In the March quarter 2015, the average daily number of full-time prisoners in Australia was 35,467. This was an increase of:

• 2,221 prisoners (7%) from the March quarter 2014, and
• 820 prisoners (2%) from the December 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 March quarter 2015 was 55,995 based on first day of the month averages.

As the following graph shows, there was a monthly decrease in number of persons in community corrections between December 2014 (56,437) and January 2015 (55,790), and a monthly increase between February 2015 (55,787) and March 2015 (56,409).(Table 1 and 17)




PERSONS IN CUSTODY

Rates per 100,000 adult population

Nationally, the average daily imprisonment rate was 194 prisoners per 100,000 adult population in the March quarter 2015. The Northern Territory had the highest average daily imprisonment rate (904 prisoners per 100,000 adult population), followed by Western Australia (273 prisoners per 100,000 adult population).

The Australian Capital Territory had the lowest average daily imprisonment rate (112 prisoners per 100,000 adult population).

Between the 2014 and 2015 March quarters, Northern Territory recorded the largest increase in the average daily imprisonment rate, from 864 to 904 prisoners per 100,000 adult population. Tasmania was the only jurisdiction to record a decrease in the imprisonment rate during the same period, from 119 to 118 prisoners per 100,000 adult population. (Table 3)



Sex

The average daily number of full-time prisoners in Australia in the March quarter 2015 was 32,686 males and 2,780 females. This represents an increase in the average daily number of males in custody of 7% (2,053 prisoners) and females of 6% (167 prisoners) from the March quarter 2014.

In the March quarter 2015, the average daily imprisonment rate for males was 362 prisoners per 100,000 adult male population, which was approximately 12 times the rate for females (30 female prisoners per 100,000 adult female population). (Tables 4 and 5)


Type of full-time custody

In the March quarter 2015, the average daily number of prisoners in secure prison custody was 27,933 (79% of prisoners in full-time custody), an increase of 7% (1,930 prisoners) from the March quarter 2014. The jurisdictions with the highest proportion of prisoners in secure prison custody were the Australian Capital Territory (98% or 330 prisoners) and Tasmania (97% or 459 prisoners).

There were 7,534 prisoners (21% of prisoners in full-time custody) in open custody in the March quarter 2015, an increase of 4% (291 prisoners) from the March quarter 2014. (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 March quarter 2015, the average number of prisoners in full-time custody on the first day of the month was 35,272, comprising of 25,764 (73%) sentenced and 9,509 (27%) unsentenced prisoners.

Sentenced prisoners increased by 4% (994 prisoners) from the March quarter 2014, and decreased by less than 1% (168 prisoners) from the December quarter 2014.

Unsentenced prisoners increased by 15% (1,220 prisoners) from the March quarter 2014, and increased by 10% (832 prisoners) from the December 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 March quarter 2015, there were 8,847 sentenced prisoner receptions into full-time prison custody in Australia. This equates to an annual increase of 5% (444 sentenced prisoner receptions) from the March quarter 2014, and a quarterly decrease of 3% (264 sentenced prisoner receptions) from the December 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 March quarter 2015, the average daily number of federal sentenced prisoners in Australia was 858. This was an annual increase of 7% (55 prisoners) from the March quarter 2014, and a quarterly decrease of 2% (20 prisoners) from the December quarter 2014.

Nearly half (416 prisoners or 49%) of all federal prisoners were in New South Wales. (Table 12)


Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners

In the March quarter 2015, the average daily number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adult prisoners in Australia was 9,838, comprising 8,861 (90%) males and 977 (10%) females.

Between the 2014 and 2015 March quarters, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males in custody increased by 7% (541 prisoners) and females by 9% (77 prisoners).

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners represented 28% of the total full-time adult prisoner population in the March quarter 2015. 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 (2,702 prisoners or 28%), Queensland (2,300 prisoners or 23%) and Western Australia (2,150 prisoners or 22%). (Table 13)

In the March quarter 2015, the national average daily Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate was 2,241 prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. This was an increase of 77 prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population from the March quarter 2014, and an increase of 15 prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population from the December quarter 2014. (Table 14)



Between the 2014 and 2015 March quarters, the imprisonment rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males increased by 3% to 4,092 prisoners per 100,000 adult male Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. The imprisonment rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander females increased by 6% to 439 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 March quarter 2015 was recorded in Western Australia (3,679 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population), followed by the Northern Territory (3,019 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population) and South Australia (2,512 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population).



Between the 2014 and 2015 March quarters, the largest increases in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate were recorded in South Australia (an increase of 209 prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population) and Australian Capital Territory (an increase of 207 prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population). (Table 14)

In the March quarter 2015, of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoner population (9,760 prisoners), 73% (7,100 prisoners) were sentenced and 27% (2,660 prisoners) were unsentenced based on first day of the month figures.

Unsentenced Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners increased by 8% (207 prisoners) from the March quarter 2014. Sentenced Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners increased by 6% (387 prisoners) in the same time period. (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 March quarter 2015, the national rate of persons in community-based corrections was 306 persons per 100,000 adult population based on first day of the month figures. This was a decrease of 1% (3 persons per 100,000 adult population) from the March quarter 2014.

The following graph shows that there was a monthly decrease of five persons per 100,000 adult population (2%) in the national rate of persons in community corrections between December 2014 and January 2015, and a monthly increase of three persons per 100,000 adult population (1%) between February and March 2015 rates. (Table 18)





Sex

Based on first day of the month figures, the average daily number of persons serving community-based corrections orders was 55,995 in the March quarter 2015. Of these, 45,636 (82%) were male and 10,324 (18%) were female. (Table 17)

In the March quarter 2015, the rate of community-based corrections for males was 505 per 100,000 adult male population, compared to 111 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 March quarter 2015 was 8,878, an increase of 106 persons (1%) from the March quarter 2014. The largest increase was recorded in Victoria (300 persons or 39%). The largest decrease was recorded in Tasmania (216 persons or 17%).

In the March quarter 2015, the average daily number of persons on parole was 12,385, an increase of 100 persons (1%) from the March quarter 2014. The largest decrease in parole orders over this period was recorded in Victoria (173 persons or 14%). The largest increase in parole orders over this period was recorded in Queensland (367 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 March quarter 2015 was 11,150, a decrease of 228 persons (2%) from the March quarter 2014 and a decrease of 281 persons (2%) from the December quarter 2014.

There was an increase in the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons in community-based corrections of less than 1% (13 persons) between February and March 2015.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders represented 20% of the total number of persons in community-based corrections in the March quarter 2015.

Just over three-quarters of the total Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-based corrections population were located in three states: Queensland (3,741 persons), New South Wales (3,384 persons) and Western Australia (1,317 persons). (Table 20)