There were various government restrictions in place across the states and territories due to COVID-19 from March 2020 to February 2022. The restrictions may have had an impact on criminal activity and the justice system.
Corrective Services, Australia
National and state information about adult prisoners and community based corrections, including legal status, custody type, Indigenous status, sex
Key statistics
- 42,204 persons were in custody in the June quarter 2023, up 1% (371 persons) from the March quarter 2023.
- Sentenced prisoners were up 2% (421 persons) for the quarter to 25,788.
- 79,984 persons were serving community-based corrections (CBC) orders, up 1% (642 persons) from the March quarter 2023.
Persons in custody
There were 42,204 (average daily number) prisoners, up from:
- 41,833 in the March quarter 2023
- 40,627 in the June quarter 2022
(a) Based on average daily number.
Imprisonment rates
The imprisonment rate was 206 persons per 100,000 adult population, up from:
- 205 persons in the March quarter 2023
- 202 persons in the June quarter 2022
(a) Rate is the number of prisoners per 100,000 adult population. Based on average daily number.
Sex
Of all prisoners:
- 92% (38,990) were male
- 8% (3,215) were female
The imprisonment rate for male prisoners was 386 persons per 100,000 adult male population, stable since last quarter.
The imprisonment rate for female prisoners was 31 persons per 100,000 adult female population, up from 30 persons last quarter.
Type of custody
Of all prisoners:
- 84% (35,267) were in secure custody
- 16% (6,937) were in open custody
Legal status
39% (16,348) of the 42,231 prisoners (first day of the month) were unsentenced, up from:
- 16,158 in the March quarter 2023
- 15,114 in the June quarter 2022
61% (25,788) of the 42,231 prisoners (first day of the month) were sentenced, up from:
- 25,367 in the March quarter 2023
- 25,436 in the June quarter 2022
(a) Based on average number on the first day of the month.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners
There were 14,011 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners, up from:
- 13,716 in the March quarter 2023
- 12,820 in the June quarter 2022
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rates
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate was 2,470 persons per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, up from:
- 2,418 in the March quarter 2023
- 2,315 in the June quarter 2022
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate for male prisoners was 4,528 persons per 100,000 adult male Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, up from 4,445 persons last quarter.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate for female prisoners was 467 persons per 100,000 adult female Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, up from 445 persons last quarter.
(a) Rate is the number of prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. Based on average daily number.
Federal sentenced prisoners
There were 1,130 federal sentenced prisoners, up from:
- 1,092 in the March quarter 2023
- 1,101 in the June quarter 2022
Prisoner receptions
The total number of prisoner receptions was 16,504:
- down from 17,336 in the March quarter 2023
- up from 15,381 in the June quarter 2022
(a) Total number of prisoner receptions.
Prisoner releases
The total number of prisoner releases was 16,511, up from:
- 16,155 in the March quarter 2023
- 15,400 in the June quarter 2022
(a) Total number of prisoner releases.
Community-based corrections
Persons in community-based corrections
There were 79,984 persons serving CBC orders, up from:
- 79,342 in the March quarter 2023
- 77,715 in the June quarter 2022
(a) Based on average number on the first day of the month.
Rates for persons in community-based corrections
The rate of persons serving CBC orders was 389 persons per 100,000 adult population:
- stable from the March quarter 2023
- up from 387 persons in the June quarter 2022
(a) Rate per 100,000 persons for the state/territory of interest.
Sex
Of all persons serving CBC orders:
- 81% (64,700) were male
- 19% (15,248) were female
The rate for male persons serving CBC orders was 641 persons per 100,000 adult male population, up from 640 persons last quarter.
The rate for female persons serving CBC orders was 146 persons per 100,000 adult female population, up from 145 last quarter.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons serving community-based corrections orders
There were 19,561 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons serving CBC orders, up from:
- 19,060 in the March quarter 2023
- 18,153 in the June quarter 2022
(a) Based on average number on the first day of the month.
Type of community-based corrections orders
There were 55,618 Sentenced probation orders, up from:
- 54,809 in the March quarter 2023
- 53,314 in the June quarter 2022
(a) Based on average number on the first day of the month.
There were 17,317 Parole orders, down from:
- 17,666 in the March quarter 2023
- 17,806 in the June quarter 2022
(a) Based on average number on the first day of the month.
There were 12,571 Community service orders, up from:
- 12,429 in the March quarter 2023
- 12,269 in the June quarter 2022
(a) Based on average number on the first day of the month.
For information about corrective services data, please refer to the Methodology.
Data downloads
Corrective Services datacubes
Guide to finding data in the Corrective Services Australia publication tables
Corrective Services, Australia - June quarter 2023
Corrective Services, Australia - Prisoner receptions and prisoner releases - June quarter 2023
Corrective Services, Australia - Age standardised community-based corrections, 2022-2023
Previous catalogue number
This release previously used catalogue number 4512.0.