SUMMARY OF FINDINGS


PERSONS IN CORRECTIVE SERVICES

Number of prisoners

In the March quarter 2014, the average daily number of full-time prisoners in Australia was 33,246 persons. This was an increase of:

• 2,790 persons (9%) from the March quarter 2013, and
• 1,006 persons (3%) from the December quarter 2013. (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).

In the March quarter 2014, there were 55,704 persons serving community-based corrections, based on first day of the month averages. This was an increase of 2,314 persons (4%) from the March quarter 2013. (Table 1)




PERSONS IN CUSTODY

Rates per 100,000 adults

Nationally, the March quarter 2014 average daily imprisonment rate was 184 prisoners per 100,000 adult population. The Northern Territory had the highest imprisonment rate (864 prisoners per 100,000 adult population), followed by Western Australia (258 prisoners per 100,000 adult population).

The Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania had the lowest imprisonment rates (110 and 119 prisoners per 100,000 adult population respectively).

Between the March quarter 2013 and the March quarter 2014, the Australian Capital Territory and Queensland recorded the largest increases in imprisonment rates (25 and 23 prisoners per 100,000 adult population respectively). The Northern Territory recorded the largest decreases (21 prisoners per 100,000 adult population). Western Australia also recorded a decrease in imprisonment rate (4 prisoners per 100,000 adult population). (Table 3)




Sex

The average daily number of full-time prisoners in Australia in the March quarter 2014 was 30,633 males and 2,613 females. This represents an increase in the average daily number of males in custody of 9% (2,466) and females of 14% (324) from the March quarter 2013.

In the March quarter 2014, the average daily imprisonment rate for males was 344 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 & 5)


Type of full-time custody

In the March quarter 2014, the average daily number of prisoners in secure prison custody was 26,003 (78% of prisoners in full-time custody). Open prison custody comprised 7,243 prisoners (22%).

The jurisdictions with the highest proportion of prisoners in secure prison custody were Tasmania (97% or 462 persons) and the Australian Capital Territory (97% or 320 persons). (Table 6)


Legal status

During the March quarter 2014, the average number of prisoners in full-time custody on the first day of each month was 33,059, comprising 24,770 (75%) sentenced and 8,289 (25%) unsentenced prisoners.

Sentenced prisoners increased by:

• 8% from the March quarter 2013, and
• 1% from the December quarter 2013.

Unsentenced prisoners increased by:

• 11% from the March quarter 2013, and
• 8% from the December quarter 2013.

Of their respective prison populations, South Australia (34% or 821 persons), the Northern Territory (32% or 495 persons) and New South Wales(30% or 3,163 persons) had the highest proportions of unsentenced prisoners. The lowest proportions of unsentenced prisoners were recorded in Victoria (18% or 1,029 persons) and Tasmania (19% or 92 persons). (Table 8)


Sentenced prisoner receptions

In the March quarter 2014, there were 8,403 sentenced prisoner receptions into full-time prison custody in Australia; a decrease of 7% (588) from the December quarter 2013 and a marginal increase of 1% (57) from the March quarter 2013. (Table 10)


Federal prisoners

In the March quarter 2014, there were 803 federal sentenced prisoners in Australia based on first day of the month figures, a decrease of 12% from the March quarter 2013. Just over half (405) of the federal prisoners were sentenced in New South Wales. (Table 12)


Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners

In the March quarter 2014, the average daily number of full-time Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adult prisoners in Australia was 9,220, comprising 8,320 (90%) males and 900 (10%) females.

Between the March quarter 2013 and the March quarter 2014, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males in custody increased by 8% (617 persons) and females by 19% (141 persons).

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners represented 28% of the total full-time prisoner population in the March quarter 2014. The total Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population aged 18 years and over at 30 June 2011 was 2% of the Australian population aged 18 years and over.

Three states accounted for approximately 73% of the total Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoner population: New South Wales (2,575), Queensland (2,169) and Western Australia (2,011). (Table 13)

In the March quarter 2014, the national average daily Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate was 2,164 per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. This was an increase of:

• 6% from the March quarter 2013, and
• 1% from the December quarter 2013.

Between the March quarter 2013 and the March quarter 2014, the imprisonment rate for males increased by 5% to 3,966 per 100,000 adult male Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. The imprisonment rate for females increased by 15% to 416 females 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 2014 was recorded in Western Australia (3,545 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population), followed by the Northern Territory (2,915) and South Australia (2,303).



Between the March quarter 2013, and the March quarter 2014, the largest increases in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate were recorded in the Australian Capital Territory (291 prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population), and Victoria and Queensland (both 214 prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population). The largest decrease over the same period was recorded in Western Australia (81 prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population). (Table 14)

In the March quarter 2014, of the full-time Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoner population, 73% (6,713) were sentenced and 27% (2,453) were unsentenced.

Sentenced Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners increased by:

• 8% (477) from the March quarter 2013, and
• 1% (58) from the December quarter 2013.

Unsentenced Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners increased by:

• 13% (275) from the March quarter 2013, and
• 12% (258) from the December quarter 2013. (Table 15)

PERSONS IN COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONS

Rates per 100,000 adults

In the March 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. This was an increase of 2% from the March quarter 2013 (302 persons per 100,000 adults). (Table 18)






Sex

Based on first day of the month averages, community-based corrections totalled 55,704 persons in the March quarter 2014. Of these, 45,391 (81%) were male and 10,276 (18%) were female. (Table 17)

In the March quarter 2014, the rate of community-based corrections for males was 510 per 100,000 adult male population compared to 112 females per 100,000 adult female population. (Table 18)


Type of orders

In the March quarter 2014, there were 8,772 persons serving community service orders, an increase of 643 persons (8%) from the March quarter 2013. The largest increase was recorded in Queensland (450 persons or 29%). The largest decrease over this period was recorded in Western Australia (266 persons or 28%).

There were 12,285 persons on parole in the March quarter 2014, a decrease of 250 persons (2%) from the March quarter 2013. The largest decrease in parole orders over this period was recorded in Victoria (432 persons or 26%). (Table 19)


Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons in community-based corrections

Based on first day of the month averages, the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons in community-based corrections for the March quarter 2014 was 11,378; a decrease of 101 persons from the December quarter 2013. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders represented 20% of the total number of persons in community-based corrections in the March quarter 2014.

Approximately 75% of the total Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-based corrections population was located in three states: Queensland (3,650), New South Wales (3,459) and Western Australia (1,428). (Table 20)