SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

PERSONS IN CORRECTIVE SERVICES

Number of prisoners

In the September quarter 2015, the average daily number of full-time prisoners in Australia was 36,122. This was an increase of:

• 173 prisoners (0.5%) from the June quarter 2015; and
• 2,122 prisoners (6%) from the September quarter 2014. (Table 1)

At the state and territory level, the largest contributors to the national number of prisoners were:

• New South Wales (33%);
• Queensland (20%);
• Victoria (17%); and
• Western Australia (16%). (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) supervision orders (parole, bail, sentenced probation) and post-sentence supervision orders.

The average daily number of persons serving community-based corrections orders in the September quarter 2015 was 59,992. This was an increase of:

• 1,925 persons (3%) from the June quarter 2015; and
• 3,923 persons (7%) from the September quarter 2014. (Table 17)

At the state and territory level, the largest contributors to the national number of persons in community-based corrections were:

• Queensland (29%);
• New South Wales (28%); and
• Victoria (21%). (Table 17)

PERSONS IN CUSTODY

Sex

In the September quarter 2015, males continued to account for the majority of prisoners, making up 92% of the national full-time prison population. The average daily number of males and females in custody both increased annually (by 6% or 1,940 prisoners and 7% or 183 prisoners respectively). (Table 1)

In the September quarter 2015, the average daily imprisonment rate for males was 366 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). (Table 5)

Type of full-time custody

Secure custody refers to prisoners housed in medium or maximum security custodial facilities requiring them to be confined by a secure physical barrier.

In the September quarter 2015, the average daily number of prisoners in secure prison custody was 28,343 (79% of prisoners in full-time custody), an increase of 7% (1,821 prisoners) from the September quarter 2014. (Table 6)

Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory had the highest proportion of prisoners in secure custody in the September quarter 2015, with 98% (490 prisoners) and 97% (361 prisoners) respectively. (Table 6)

Open custody refers to prisoners housed in minimum security custodial facilities that do not require them to be confined by a secure parameter physical barrier, irrespective of whether a physical barrier exists. There were 7,779 prisoners (22% of prisoners in full-time custody) in open custody in the September quarter 2015, an annual increase of 4% (301 prisoners). (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.

Post-sentence prisoner data have been included in sentenced prisoner totals since the June quarter 2013 reference period. From the June quarter 2015, post-sentence prisoner data were published as a separate category, and continue to be included in prisoner totals. For more information, please refer to paragraphs 36 and 37 of the Explanatory Notes.

In the September quarter 2015, the average number of full-time prisoners on the first day of the month was 36,070, of which:

• 25,999 (72%) were sentenced; and
• 9,999 (28%) were unsentenced. (Table 8)

Unsentenced prisoners increased by 20% (1,635 prisoners) from the September quarter 2014. (Table 8)



Sentenced prisoner receptions

Sentenced prisoner receptions refer to:

• persons entering into corrective services custody from the community, having received a sentence of imprisonment as an outcome of a court proceeding;
• persons who are sentenced to custody while in custody on remand (i.e. changed legal 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 September quarter 2015, there were 9,329 sentenced prisoner receptions into full-time prison custody in Australia, representing an increase of 3% (269 prisoners) 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.

During the September quarter 2015, the average daily number of federal sentenced prisoners in Australia was 914. This was an increase of 4% (33 prisoners) from the June quarter 2015, and 5% (41 prisoners) from the September quarter 2014. (Table 12)

New South Wales continued to account for nearly half of all federal prisoners, representing 49% (447 prisoners) in the September quarter 2015. (Table 12)

Rates per 100,000 adult population

Nationally, the average daily imprisonment rate was 196 prisoners per 100,000 adult population in the September quarter 2015. (Table 3)

All states and territories recorded increases in their imprisonment rate between the 2014 and 2015 September quarters, except for Victoria which decreased by 4% (from 138 to 132 prisoners per 100,000 adult population). (Table 3)

The Northern Territory had the highest average daily imprisonment rate (882 prisoners per 100,000 adult population), followed by Western Australia (280 prisoners per 100,000 adult population). (Table 3)

The Australian Capital Territory had the lowest average daily imprisonment rate (123 prisoners per 100,000 adult population). (Table 3)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners represented 27% of the total full-time adult prisoner population, and accounted for approximately 2% of the total 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)). (Table 1)

The average daily number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adult prisoners was 9,841, comprising 8,860 (90%) males and 981 (10%) females, which represented an increase of 6% and 5%, respectively, from the September quarter 2014. (Table 13)

In the September quarter 2015, three states continued to account for nearly three-quarters of the total Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoner population: New South Wales (2,886 prisoners or 29%), Queensland (2,244 prisoners or 23%) and Western Australia (2,103 prisoners or 21%). (Table 1)

The national average daily Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate was 2,242 prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. The highest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rates were recorded in:

• Western Australia (3,599);
• Northern Territory (2,875); and
• South Australia (2,516). (Table 14)

Between the June and September 2015 quarters, the largest decreases in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate were in the Northern Territory, Victoria and Queensland (decreasing by 86, 57 and 56 prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, respectively). (Table 14)

In the September quarter 2015, the number Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners based on first day of the month figures was 9,837 prisoners, of which:

• 72% (7,118 prisoners) were sentenced; and
• 27% (2,684 prisoners) were unsentenced. (Table 15)

Unsentenced Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners increased by 14% (322 prisoners) from the September quarter 2014. (Table 15)





PERSONS IN COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONS

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

Sex

The average daily number of persons serving community-based corrections orders was 59,992 in the September quarter 2015. Of these, 48,967 or 82% were male (a rate of 538 per 100,000 adult male population) and 10,998 or 18% were female (a rate of 118 females per 100,000 adult female population). (Tables 17 and 18)

Type of orders

The average daily number of persons serving community service orders in the September quarter 2015 was 9,654, an increase of 593 persons (7%) from the September quarter 2014. The largest increase was recorded in Victoria (465 persons or 51%), followed by Queensland (329 persons or 16%). (Table 19)

The average daily number of persons serving restricted movement orders in the September quarter 2015 was 868, an increase of 317 persons (58%) from the September quarter 2014. The largest increase over this period was recorded in South Australia (293 persons or 67%). (Table 19)

In the September quarter 2015, the average daily number of persons on parole was 13,067, an increase of 623 persons (5%) from the September quarter 2014. The largest increase in parole orders over this period was recorded in Queensland (402 persons or 8%). (Table 19)



Rates per 100,000 adult population

In the September quarter 2015, the daily average national rate of persons in community-based corrections was 325 persons per 100,000 adult population, a quarterly increase of 3% (9 persons per 100,000 adult population) and an annual increase 6% (17 persons per 100,000 adult population). (Table 18)





Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons in community-based corrections

The average daily number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons in community-based corrections for the September quarter 2015 was 11,780, representing nearly 20% of the total community-based corrections population. (Table 20)

Nationally, there was an increase of 454 persons (4%) from the June quarter 2015 and 425 persons (4%) from the September quarter 2014. (Table 20)

Just over three-quarters of the total Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-based corrections population were located in three states: Queensland (3,960 persons), New South Wales (3,533 persons) and Western Australia (1,426 persons). (Table 20)