4517.0 - Prisoners in Australia, 2010 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 09/12/2010   
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Contents >> Prisoner characteristics, Australia >> Most serious offence/charge

MOST SERIOUS OFFENCE/CHARGE

A most serious offence/charge is determined for each prisoner (see Explanatory Notes, paragraphs 81-84). At 30 June 2010, the most prevalent offences/charges for prisoners (either sentenced or unsentenced) were: acts intended to cause injury (20%); sexual assault (13%); illicit drug offences and unlawful entry with intent (both 11%); and robbery and extortion and homicide (both 10%). Together, these offences/charges accounted for three quarters (75%) of all prisoners in 2010. (Table 2.5)


Age

Prisoners aged 25-34 years accounted for the highest proportion of prisoners for the following offence/charge categories:

  • unlawful entry with intent (43%);
  • robbery and extortion (41%);
  • acts intended to cause injury (38%); and
  • illicit drugs (32%).

Prisoners aged 35-44 years accounted for the highest proportion of prisoners for homicide and sexual assault (30% and 27% respectively).

PROPORTION OF PRISONERS, selected most serious offence/charge, by age group
Graph: PROPORTION OF PRISONERS, selected most serious offence/charge, by age group


The following graph shows that when comparing different age groups:
  • prisoners aged 55 years and over and 45-54 had the highest proportion of prisoners imprisoned for sexual assault than for any other selected most serious offence/charge category (42% and 23% respectively);
  • for each of the remaining age groups, the offence with the highest proportion of prisoners was acts intended to cause injury.
PROPORTION OF PRISONERS, age group, by selected most serious offence/charge
Graph: PROPORTION OF PRISONERS, age group, by selected most serious offence/charge








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