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WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Snapshot

At 30 June 2014:

• The number of adult prisoners in Western Australian prisons was 5,242, an increase of 6% (318 prisoners) from 2013. This was the highest number of prisoners since 2004. (Table 14)


• The adult imprisonment rate was 264.6 prisoners per 100,000 adult population, an increase from 255.8 prisoners per 100,000 adult population in 2013. (Table 18)


• Three in five prisoners (61% or 3,220 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 (20% or 1,051 prisoners), followed by unlawful entry with intent (17% or 896 prisoners) and illicit drug offences (12% or 612 prisoners). (Table 15)

At 30 June 2014:

• Males comprised 91% (4,772 prisoners) of the total prisoner population. (Table 13)


• From 30 June 2013, the male imprisonment rate increased from 461.7 to 477.6 prisoners per 100,000 male adult population. (Table 14)


• For the same period, the female imprisonment rate increased from 47.0 to 47.9 prisoners per 100,000 female adult population. (Table 14)

At 30 June 2014:

• The median age of adult prisoners was 33.5 years of age. (Table 13)


• The proportion of adult prisoners aged under 25 years was 19% (1,005 prisoners). (Table 20)

At 30 June 2014:

• Overseas-born prisoners accounted for 15% (804 prisoners) of the adult prisoner population. (Table 21)


• The largest proportion of overseas-born prisoners was from the United Kingdom (185 prisoners or 23% of overseas-born prisoners) followed by New Zealand (157 prisoners or 20% of overseas-born prisoners). (Table 21)

At 30 June 2014:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders comprised 40% (2,079 prisoners) of the adult prisoner population (Table 13)


• The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander age standardised imprisonment rate was 18 times the non-indigenous age standardised imprisonment rate (3,013.4 prisoners per 100,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adult population compared to 166.6 prisoners per 100,000 adult non-indigenous population). (Table 17)

At 30 June 2014:

• Unsentenced prisoners comprised 23% (1,179 prisoners) of the adult prisoner population. (Table 13)


• The median time spent on remand by unsentenced prisoners in custody was 2.3 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 2.4 years. (Table 24)

At 30 June 2014, of all states and territories:

• Western Australia had the highest proportion of prisoners with a most serious offence/charge of unlawful entry with intent (17% or 896 prisoners). (Table 15)


• Western Australia had the highest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate (3,663.5 prisoners per 100,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adult population). (Table 16)