NEW SOUTH WALES

The number of unique offenders presented in this publication for New South Wales excludes offenders proceeded against by police under the NSW Young Offenders Act 1997. For further information refer to paragraphs 45-47 of the Explanatory Notes.


Offenders

The number of unique offenders (excluding offenders proceeded against by police under the NSW Young Offenders Act 1997) in New South Wales in 2011-12 was 94,699. This represents a 6% decrease compared with 2010-11, after increasing between 2008-09 and 2009-10 (2%) and 2009-10 and 2010-11 (5%).

The rate at which people offended in New South Wales in 2011-12 was 1,497 people per 100,000 aged 10 years and over. This rate decreased (6% or 96 fewer people) compared with 2010-11.


Sex

Almost four out of five offenders (79%) in New South Wales in 2011-12 were males. This proportion has remained relatively stable over the last three years, decreasing slightly from 80% in 2008-09. Compared with 2010-11, the number of male and female offenders decreased at a similar rate (7% decrease for male offenders and 6% decrease for female offenders). The male offender rate was almost 4 times higher than the female offender rate in 2011-12 (2,401 male offenders per 100,000 males aged 10 years and over compared to 610 female offenders per 100,000 females aged 10 years and over).


Repeat offenders

Almost three-quarters (73%) of offenders were proceeded against by police only once during 2011-12. A small proportion (4%) were proceeded against five or more times during the same period.


Principal offence

The most prevalent principal offence for which offenders were proceeded against by police in New South Wales in 2011-12 (excluding offenders proceeded against under the NSW Young Offenders Act 1997) as measured by the offender rate was Acts intended to cause injury (393 offenders per 100,000 people aged 10 years and over), followed by Theft and related offences (274) and Public order offences (197).

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders

As at the 30 June 2011, the proportion of the Estimated Resident Population aged 10 years and over identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander in New South Wales was 3%. Excluding offenders who were proceeded against by a penalty notice and offenders proceeded against under the NSW Young Offenders Act 1997, the proportion of offenders identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander in New South Wales was 13%.

As there is a relationship between rates of offending and age, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous populations have different age distributions, it is preferable to use age standardised rates when comparing rates of offending between the two populations. This reduces the influence of different population age distributions (refer to paragraphs 33-38 of the Explanatory Notes). The age standardised offender rate for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population (excluding offenders proceeded against by a penalty notice and offenders proceeded against under the NSW Young Offenders Act 1997) in New South Wales in 2011-12 was 5,207 per 100,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders aged 10 years and over. This rate was 6 times the non-Indigenous offender rate of 850 per 100,000 non-Indigenous people aged 10 years and over.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders comprised a larger proportion (52%) of offenders with a principal offence of Acts intended to cause injury than non-Indigenous offenders (39%). Twenty-two percent of the non-Indigenous offender population had a principal offence of Illicit drugs, compared to 8% of offenders identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.

During 2011-12, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders were proceeded against an average of 2.3 times compared with an average of 1.6 times for non-Indigenous offenders.

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