1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2006  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 20/01/2006   
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Contents >> Chapter 11 - Crime and justice >> Corrective services

CORRECTIVE SERVICES

Corrective services agencies are responsible for administering those penalties handed down by the criminal courts that require some form of supervision or custody of the offender. This may include imprisonment on either a full-time or part-time basis, community service and other forms of supervised work, home detention, or good behaviour bonds under supervision. Most people for whom corrective services have responsibility have received a sentence from a criminal court. Corrective service agencies may also be responsible for people prior to sentencing. Unsentenced persons may be held on remand in correctional facilities or be subject to supervised bail or similar community-based court orders.

All states and territories operate prisons and other types of corrective services. Separate provisions exist in each state and territory for dealing with juvenile offenders. The Australian Government does not operate any prisons or other corrective services, as federal offenders (persons convicted of offences under Commonwealth laws) are supervised by state or territory agencies for correctional purposes. The majority of convicted adult prisoners from the Australian Capital Territory serve their sentences in New South Wales prisons, but local provision is made for the custody of unsentenced prisoners and periodic detainees, and for those under the supervision of community corrections (e.g. probation and parole).

In 2003-04, of the 121 custodial facilities in Australia 10 were privately operated. Custodial facilities include: prisons, community custody centres, periodic detention centres and court-cell centres (under the responsibility of corrective services).

Corrective services oversee prisons, periodic detention and community-based corrections. Community-based corrections includes restricted movement, reparation (fine option and community service) and supervision (parole, bail and sentenced probation).

At March 2005, just over 77,000 people were serving either a custodial or community-based order in Australia (table 11.38). Persons in full-time custody comprised 31% of the total, while persons serving a community-based order comprised 68% of the total.

11.38 PERSONS IN CUSTODY AND COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS - March quarter 2005
NSW(a)
Vic.
Qld
SA
WA
Tas.
NT
ACT in
ACT(b)
ACT in
NSW(a)
ACT
Total
Aust.(a)
PRISONERS IN FULL-TIME CUSTODY(c)
Males
8,306
3,278
4,952
1,446
3,182
492
772
64
106
170
22,491
Females
633
257
353
90
271
28
26
3
6
8
1,660
Persons
8,939
3,535
5,305
1,536
3,453
520
798
67
112
178
24,152
PERSONS IN PERIODIC DETENTION(c)
Males
716
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
93
. .
93
810
Females
82
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
5
. .
5
86
Persons
798
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
98
. .
98
896
PERSONS WITH COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONS ORDERS(d)
Males
15,147
6,700
9,103
4,762
4,274
823
945
960
. .
960
42,714
Females
2,654
1,474
2,458
1,062
1,246
208
140
175
. .
175
9,417
Persons(e)
17,865
8,187
11,561
5,841
5,520
1,032
1,086
1,135
. .
1,135
52,227
TOTAL PERSONS UNDER CORRECTIVE SERVICES AUTHORITY
Males
24,169
9,978
14,055
6,208
7,456
1,317
1,717
1,117
106
1,223
66,015
Females
3,369
1,731
2,811
1,152
1,517
236
166
183
6
188
11,163
Persons(e)
27,538
11,722
16,866
7,360
8,973
1,553
1,883
1,300
112
1,411
77,275
(a) Data for NSW include ACT prisoners held in NSW prisons. The ACT in NSW figures are a subset of NSW figures and are not separately counted in the Australian totals.
(b) Refers to unsentenced persons in ACT prison custody and may include some sentenced fine default only prisoners.
(c) Data for persons in full-time custody and periodic detention is collected as average daily.
(d) Average figures for the first day of each month in the quarter.
(e) Includes persons whose sex is unknown.

Source: Corrective Services, Australia, March Quarter 2005 (4512.0).



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