4517.0 - Prisoners in Australia, 2014 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 11/12/2014   
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UNSENTENCED PRISONERS

At 30 June 2014:

    • There were 8,209 unsentenced prisoners in Australian prisons, an increase of 11% (835 prisoners) from 30 June 2013 (7,374 unsentenced prisoners). This was the highest number of unsentenced prisoners since 2004 (4,935 unsentenced prisoners). (Table 2)

    • Males accounted for over nine in ten of all unsentenced prisoners (91% or 7,490 prisoners). (Table 7)

    • The most common charges for unsentenced prisoners were:

        – Acts intended to cause injury (32%)

        – Illicit drug offences (14%)

        – Unlawful entry with intent (11%). (Table 12)


    • 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. The median time spent on remand by unsentenced prisoners in custody as at 30 June 2014 was 3 months. This represented a small increase from 2.8 months at 30 June 2013. (Table 12)

    • Unsentenced prisoners with a most serious charge of homicide spent the longest time on remand (median of 8.7 months) followed by illicit drug offences (5.0 months) and robbery and extortion (4.5 months). (Table 12)
Graph Image for UNSENTENCED PRISONERS, median time on remand(a) by selected most serious charge(b), 30 June 2014

Footnote(s): (a) For information on time spent on remand see Explanatory Notes paragraph 45. (b) For a definition of most serious charge see Explanatory Notes paragraph 80. (c) Offences against justice procedures, government security and operations.

Source(s): Prisoners in Australia