OFFENDERS

For the 2009-10 reference period, New South Wales accounted for 29% (108,770) of the Australian offender population aged 10 years and over, followed by Queensland (23% or 85,192) and Victoria (20% or 76,123). The Australian Capital Territory recorded the lowest number of offenders (1% or 2900) and was the only jurisdiction to record a significant decrease in offenders from 2008-09 (down 13%).

The Northern Territory had the highest offender rate in 2009-10 with 5,090 offenders per 100,000 persons aged 10 years and over, and recorded the largest increase in the offender rate from 2008-09 (an increase of 289 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 933 offenders per 100,000 persons aged 10 years and over.

Sex

Nationally, there were more than three times as many male offenders (77%) 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 75% who were male in Western Australia.

Between 2008-09 and 2009-10, Victoria reported the largest proportional increase in the number of offenders, both male and female (14% and 11% increase respectively). The Australian Capital Territory reported decreases in both the number of male offenders from 2008-09 (10%) and female offenders (21%). Tasmania was the only other jurisdiction to report a decrease, with male offenders falling by 3%. The proportional increases in the number of female offenders were greater than the increases in male offenders in all other states and territories except Victoria and Northern Territory.

The offender rates of males were much higher than those for females across all states and territories. The Northern Territory had the highest male offender rate at 7,424 male offenders per 100,000 males aged 10 years and over, and also had the highest female offender rate at 2,562 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 2009-10 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 2009-10 was in Queensland (32%). The jurisdiction with the lowest proportion of repeat offenders was South Australia (19%).

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