4517.0 - Prisoners in Australia, 2017 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 08/12/2017   
   Page tools: Print Print Page Print all pages in this productPrint All

Please install or enable flash on you browser.

Get Adobe Flash Player


ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PRISONER CHARACTERISTICS

Snapshot

At 30 June 2017:
  • There were 11,307 prisoners who identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, a 7% increase (711 prisoners) from 30 June 2016. The number of non-Indigenous prisoners increased by 6% (1,654 prisoners). (Table 2)

Graph Image for PRISONERS, Indigenous status, 30 June 2007 to 30 June 2017

Source(s): Prisoners in Australia


  • From 30 June 2017, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate increased by 4%, from 2,346 to 2,434 prisoners per 100,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. The non-Indigenous rate also increased by 4% over the same period from 154 to 160 prisoners per 100,000 non-Indigenous population. (Table 20)
  • The proportion of adult prisoners who identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ranged from 9% in Victoria (610 prisoners) to 84% (1,349 prisoners) in the Northern Territory. (Table 14)
  • The most common offence/charge for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners was Acts intended to cause injury (35% or 3,967 prisoners) followed by Unlawful entry with intent (14% or 1,607 prisoners). The most common offence/charge for non-Indigenous prisoners was Illicit drug offences (19% or 5,777 prisoners) and Acts intended to cause injury (18% or 5,376 prisoners). (Table 1)

Graph Image for PROPORTION OF PRISONERS, Indigenous status by selected most serious offence or charge(a), 30 June 2017

Footnote(s): a) For a definition of most serious offence/charge, see Explanatory Notes, paragraphs 84–86. (b) Offences against justice procedures, government security and operations.

Source(s): Prisoners in Australia


  • Just over three out of four Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners (76% or 8,622 prisoners) had been imprisoned under sentence previously, compared to nearly one in two non-Indigenous prisoners (49% or 14,638 prisoners). (Table 29)