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Corrective Services, Australia

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National and state information about adult prisoners and community based corrections, including legal status, custody type, Indigenous status, sex.

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Reference period
September Quarter 2022
Released
24/11/2022
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Key statistics

  • There were 40,907 persons in custody in the September quarter 2022, up 1% (280) from the June 2022 quarter but down 4% (1,599) from September quarter 2021.
  • Sentenced prisoners were stable for this quarter, increasing by 74 persons since the June quarter 2022 to 25,510.
  • 77,861 persons were serving community-based corrections (CBC) orders, stable from the June quarter 2022.

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.

Persons in custody

There were 40,907 (average daily number) prisoners:

  • up from 40,627 in the June quarter 2022
  • down from 42,506 in the September quarter 2021

Of the 40,907 prisoners, there were:

  • 12,467 in New South Wales, stable for the quarter
  • 9,493 in Queensland, up 2%
  • 6,632 in Victoria, stable
  • 6,252 in Western Australia, stable
  • 3,100 in South Australia, up 1%
  • 1,947 in the Northern Territory, up 1%
  • 627 in Tasmania, down 2%
  • 390 in the Australia Capital Territory, up 2%

(a) Based on average daily number

Imprisonment rates

The imprisonment rate was 202 persons per 100,000 adult population:

  • stable from 202 persons in the June quarter 2022
  • down from 212 persons in the September quarter 2021

The imprisonment rate per 100,000 adult population was:

  • 1,037 persons for the Northern Territory, up 1% for the quarter
  • 293 for Western Australia, stable
  • 232 for Queensland, up 2%
  • 216 for South Australia, up 1%
  • 196 for New South Wales, down 1%
  • 138 for Tasmania, down 2%
  • 128 for Victoria, down 1%
  • 110 for the Australian Capital Territory, up 2%

(a) Rate is the number of prisoners per 100,000 adult population. Based on average daily number.

Sex

Of all prisoners:

  • 93% (37,896) were male
  • 7% (3,011) were female

Of all male prisoners:

  • 31% (11,669) were in New South Wales
  • 23% (8,623) were in Queensland
  • 17% (6,274) were in Victoria

Of all female prisoners:

  • 29% (870) were in Queensland
  • 27% (798) were in New South Wales
  • 19% (564) were in Western Australia

The imprisonment rate for male prisoners was 382 persons per 100,000 adult male population, up from 381 persons last quarter.

The imprisonment rate for female prisoners was 29 persons per 100,000 adult female population, stable since last quarter.

Type of custody

Of all prisoners:

  • 84% (34,304) were in secure custody
  • 16% (6,603) were in open custody

Legal status

37% (15,240) of the 40,847 prisoners (first day of the month) were unsentenced:

  • up from 15,114 in the June quarter 2022
  • down from 15,248 in the September quarter 2021

Of all unsentenced prisoners:

  • 31% (4,796) were in New South Wales
  • 21% (3,183) were in Queensland
  • 19% (2,849) were in Victoria

62% (25,510) of the 40,847 prisoners (first day of the month) were sentenced:

  • up from 25,436 in the June quarter 2022
  • down from 27,603 in the September quarter 2021

Of all sentenced prisoners:

  • 30% (7,662) were in New South Wales
  • 24% (6,228) were in Queensland
  • 17% (4,329) were in Western Australia

(a) Based on average number on the first day of the month

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners

There were 13,039 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners:

  • up from 12,820 in the June quarter 2022
  • up from 12,996 in the September quarter 2021

Of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners:

  • 28% (3,599) were in New South Wales, 26% (3,433) were in Queensland, and 20% (2,559) were in Western Australia
  • 91% (11,871) were male
  • 61% (7,884) were sentenced

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rates

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate was 2,354 persons per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population:

  • up from 2,315 in the June quarter 2022
  • down from 2,394 in the September quarter 2021

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population was:

  • 3,623 for Western Australia, up 2% for the quarter
  • 3,174 for the Northern Territory, up 2%
  • 2,623 for South Australia, stable
  • 2,251 for Queensland, up 1%
  • 1,987 for New South Wales, up 2%
  • 1,796 for Victoria, up 9%
  • 1,763 for the Australia Capital Territory, up 1%
  • 705 for Tasmania, down 8%

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate for male prisoners was 4,349 persons per 100,000 adult male Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, up from 4,261 persons last quarter.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate for female prisoners was 416 persons per 100,000 adult female Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, down from 423 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 1,084 federal sentenced prisoners, down from:

  • 1,101 in the June quarter 2022
  • 1,147 in the September quarter 2021

75% (811) of all federal sentenced prisoners were held in New South Wales and Victoria.

Prisoner receptions

The total number of prisoner receptions was 16,720, up from:

  • 15,381 in the June quarter 2022
  • 15,161 in the September quarter 2021

Of all prisoner receptions:

  • 30% (4,962) were in New South Wales, 23% (3,776) were in Queensland, and 17% (2,861) were in Victoria
  • 88% (14,648) were male
  • 79% (13,155) were unsentenced

(a) Total number of prisoner receptions.

Prisoner releases

The total number of prisoner releases was 16,251:

  • up from 15,400 in the June quarter 2022
  • down from 16,323 in the September quarter 2021

Of all prisoner releases:

  • 30% (4,846) were in New South Wales, 22% (3,603) were in Queensland, and 17% (2,723) were in Victoria
  • 87% (14,181) were male
  • 54% (8,750) were sentenced

(a) Total number of prisoner releases.

Community-based corrections

Persons in community-based corrections

There were 77,861 persons serving CBC orders:

  • up from 77,715 in the June quarter 2022
  • down from 79,211 in the September quarter 2021

Of all persons serving CBC orders, there were:

  • 33,844 in New South Wales, up 1% for the quarter
  • 19,257 in Queensland, down 2%
  • 9,995 in Victoria, up 4%
  • 5,713 in Western Australia, up 2%
  • 5,070 in South Australia, down 1%
  • 1,976 in Tasmania, down 5%
  • 1,236 in the Northern Territory, up 6%
  • 771 in the Australian Capital Territory, down 12%

(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 385 persons per 100,000 adult population down from:

  • 387 persons in the June quarter 2022
  • 395 persons in the September quarter 2021

The rate of persons serving CBC orders per 100,000 adult population was:

  • 658 persons for the Northern Territory, up 6% for the quarter
  • 532 for New South Wales, stable
  • 470 for Queensland, down 2%
  • 436 for Tasmania, down 5%
  • 353 for South Australia, down 1%
  • 268 for Western Australia, up 2%
  • 217 for the Australian Capital Territory, down 12%
  • 192 for Victoria, up 3%

(a) Rate per 100,000 persons for the state/territory of interest.

Sex

Of all persons serving CBC orders:

  • 81% (62,910) were male
  • 19% (14,918) were female

The rate for male persons serving CBC orders was 634 persons per 100,000 adult male population, down from 636 persons last quarter.

The rate for female persons serving CBC orders was 145 persons per 100,000 adult female population, stable from last quarter.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons serving community-based corrections orders

There were 18,331 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons serving CBC orders up from:

  • 18,153 in the June quarter 2022
  • 18,198 in the September quarter 2021

Of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons serving CBC orders:

  • 43% (7,826) were in New South Wales
  • 29% (5,406) were in Queensland
  • 9% (1,732) were in Western Australia

(a) Based on average number on the first day of the month.

Type of community-based corrections orders

There were 53,643 Sentenced probation orders:

  • up from 53,314 in the June quarter 2022
  • down from 55,084 in the September quarter 2021

(a) Based on average number on the first day of the month

There were 17,572 Parole orders down from:

  • 17,806 in the June quarter 2022
  • 17,861 in the September quarter 2021

(a) Based on average number on the first day of the month

There were 12,258 Community service orders, down from:

  • 12,269 in the June quarter 2022
  • 13,020 in the September quarter 2021

(a) Based on average number on the first day of the month

For information about corrective services data, please refer to the Methodology.

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Data files

Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 4512.0.

Methodology

Corrective Services, Australia methodology, September Quarter 2022