OFFENDERS

For the 2008-09 reference period, New South Wales accounted for 30% (103,853) of the Australian offender population aged 10 years and over, followed by Queensland (24% or 83,806) and Victoria (16% or 53,605). The Australian Capital Territory recorded the lowest number of offenders (1% or 3,337) and was the only jurisdiction to record a decrease (1%) in the total number of offenders from 2007-08.

The Northern Territory had the highest offender rate in 2008-09 with 4,832 offenders per 100,000 persons aged 10 years and over, and recorded the largest increase in the offender rate from 2007-08 (an increase of 540 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 1,096 offenders per 100,000 persons aged 10 years and over.

Sex

Nationally, there were more than three times as many male offenders (77%) than female offenders (23%), and this distribution was similar across the states and territories, ranging from 79% of offenders who were male in New South Wales and South Australia to 75% who were male in Tasmania.

Between 2007-08 and 2008-09, the Northern Territory reported the largest proportional increase in the number of offenders, both male and female (14% and 16% increase respectively). While the Australian Capital Territory reported a 6% decrease in the number of male offenders from 2007-08, there was a 15% increase in female offenders. The proportional increases in the number of female offenders were greater than the increases in male offenders in all states and territories except South Australia and Tasmania.

The offender rates of males were also much higher than those for females across all states and territories. The Northern Territory had the highest male offender rate at 7,017 male offenders per 100,000 males aged 10 years and over, and also had the highest female offender rate at 2,450 offenders per 100,000 females aged 10 years and over.

Repeat Offenders

Data on the number of proceedings that police initiated against offenders during the reference period are not available for Western Australia. Excluding Western Australia, the majority of offenders were proceeded against by police only once during 2008-09 in all states and territories. The highest proportion of the offender population who were proceeded against by police on two or more separate occasions during 2008-09 was in Tasmania (33%). The jurisdiction with the lowest proportion of repeat offenders was South Australia (21%).

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