OFFENDERS

For the 2010-11 reference period, New South Wales accounted for 31% (113,281 offenders) of the Australian offender population aged 10 years and over, followed by Victoria (22% or 80,410 offenders) and Queensland (22% or 79,708 offenders). The Australian Capital Territory recorded the lowest proportion of offenders (0.8% or 2,844 offenders). Increases in the offender population aged 10 years and over were recorded for three jurisdictions - New South Wales (4.1%), Victoria (5.6%) and South Australia (3%) - while Western Australia recorded the largest decrease in offenders from 2009-10 (down 17%). (Tables 3.1 and 3.3)

The Northern Territory had the highest offender rate in 2010-11 with 4,562 offenders per 100,000 persons aged 10 years and over. The lowest offender rate was recorded in the Australian Capital Territory with a rate of 899 offenders per 100,000 persons aged 10 years and over. Victoria recorded the largest increase in the offender rate from 2009-10 (an increase of 63 offenders per 100,000 persons aged 10 years and over) while the Northern Territory recorded the largest decrease from 2009-10 (a decrease of 530 offenders per 100,000 persons aged 10 years and over). (Tables 3.1 and 3.3)

Sex

Nationally, there were more than three times as many male offenders (78%) as female offenders (22%), and this distribution was similar across the states and territories, ranging from 79% of offenders who were male in Victoria and South Australia to 74% who were male in Western Australia. (Table 3.3)

Between 2009-10 and 2010-11, Victoria reported the largest proportional increase in the number of male offenders (6.2%) while New South Wales reported the largest increase in the number of female offenders (4.5%). New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia reported increases in the number of male and female offenders between 2009-10 and 2010-11. All remaining states and territories reported decreases in both the number of male and female offenders, with Western Australia reporting the largest decreases in both the number of male offenders (17%) and female offenders (18%) from 2009-10. (Table 3.3)

The offender rates for males were much higher than those for females across all states and territories. The Northern Territory had the highest male offender rate at 6,634 male offenders per 100,000 males aged 10 years and over, and also had the highest female offender rate at 2,319 offenders per 100,000 females aged 10 years and over. (Table 3.3)

Repeat offenders

Data on the number of proceedings that police initiated against offenders during the reference period are not available for Western Australia. For more information see Explanatory Notes paragraphs 56-57.

The majority of offenders were proceeded against by police only once during 2010-11 in all states and territories. The highest proportion of the offender population who were proceeded against by police on more than one separate occasion during 2010-11 was in Queensland (31%). The jurisdiction with the lowest proportion of repeat offenders was Victoria (17%). Male offenders were more likely than female offenders to be proceeded against by police multiple times during 2010-11. (Tables 3.5 and 3.6)

Principal offence

The principal offence and associated offender rate that are most predominant varies in each jurisdiction. The predominant principal offences that offenders were proceeded against in 2010-11 within each state and territory, as measured by the offender rates per 100,000 persons aged 10 years and over, were:

• Acts intended to cause injury in New South Wales (447), Western Australia (403) and the Australian Capital Territory (246);
• Public order offences in the Northern Territory (1,524), Tasmania (1,052) and Queensland (459);
• Theft in Victoria (350); and
• Illicit drug offences in South Australia (946). (Table 3.1)

Subdivision

The most prevalent principal offence at the published subdivision level for offenders in 2010-11 within each state and territory, as measured by the offender rates per 100,000 persons aged 10 years and over, were:

• Assault in New South Wales (406), South Australia (430), Western Australia (398), Tasmania (469), Northern Territory (1053) and the Australian Capital Territory (243); and
• Theft (except motor vehicles) in Victoria (313) and Queensland (245). (Table 3.2)

Northern Territory had the highest offender rates per 100,000 persons aged 10 years and over for Assault (1053), Sexual assault (67), Harassment and threatening behaviour (51) and Deal or traffic in illicit drugs (196); Western Australia had the highest offender rates per 100,000 persons aged 10 years and over for Robbery (27) and Blackmail and extortion (12); and New South Wales had the highest offender rates per 100,000 persons aged 10 years and over for Other acts intended to cause injury (41) and Theft (except motor vehicles) (331). (Table 3.2)

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