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NEW SOUTH WALES

Snapshot

At 30 June 2014:

• The number of adult prisoners in New South Wales prisons was 10,566, an increase of 7% (669 prisoners) from 2013. (Table 14)


• The adult imprisonment rate was 181.7 prisoners per 100,000 adult population, an increase from 173.2 prisoners per 100,000 adult population in 2013. (Table 18)


• Over half (56% or 5,880 prisoners) of prisoners had been imprisoned under sentence previously. (Table 13)


• The most common offence/charge for which prisoners were in custody was acts intended to cause injury (19% or 2,031 prisoners), followed by illicit drug offences (16% or 1,646 prisoners) and offences against justice procedures, government security and operations (11% or 1,190 prisoners). (Table 15)

At 30 June 2014:

• Males comprised 93% (9,848 prisoners) of the total prisoner population. (Table 13)


• Since 30 June 2013, the male imprisonment rate increased from 328.2 to 344.7 prisoners per 100,000 male adult population. (Table 14)


• For the same period, the female imprisonment rate increased from 23.4 to 24.3 prisoners per 100,000 female adult population. (Table 14)

At 30 June 2014:

• The median age of adult prisoners was 34.4 years of age. (Table 13)


• The proportion of adult prisoners aged under 25 years was 17% (1,839 prisoners). (Table 20)

At 30 June 2014:

• Overseas-born prisoners accounted for 23% (2,445 prisoners) of the adult prisoner population. (Table 21)


• The largest proportion of overseas-born prisoners was from New Zealand (356 prisoners or 15% of overseas-born prisoners) followed by Vietnam (289 prisoners or 12% of overseas-born prisoners). (Table 21)

At 30 June 2014:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders comprised 24% (2,492 prisoners) of the adult prisoner population. (Table 13)


• The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander age standardised imprisonment rate was 11 times the non-indigenous age standardised imprisonment rate (1,699.7 prisoners per 100,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adult population compared to 150.7 prisoners per 100,000 adult non-indigenous population). (Table 17)

At 30 June 2014:

• Unsentenced prisoners comprised 26% (2,745 prisoners) of the adult prisoner population. (Table 13)


• The median time spent on remand by unsentenced prisoners in custody was 4.0 months. Time on remand as reported in the Prisoner Census is time spent on remand as at 30 June 2014, and not the total time on remand. Time on remand is influenced by a number of factors, particularly the time it takes for a case to come before a court. (Table 30)


• The median aggregate sentence length of sentenced prisoners was 3.4 years. (Table 24)

At 30 June 2014, of all states and territories:

• New South Wales had the largest adult prisoner population (10,566 prisoners), accounting for 31% of the total Australian adult prisoner population (33,791 prisoners). (Table 13)


• The median time spent on remand by unsentenced prisoners in custody was highest in New South Wales (4.0 months). Time on remand as reported in the Prisoner Census is time spent on remand as at 30 June 2014, and not the total time on remand. Time on remand is influenced by a number of factors, particularly the time it takes for a case to come before a court. (Table 30)