UNSENTENCED PRISONERS

Unsentenced prisoners (those held on remand) include unconvicted prisoners awaiting a court hearing or trial, convicted prisoners awaiting sentencing and persons awaiting deportation where they are under the administration of corrective services. At 30 June 2013, South Australia had the highest proportion (34%) of unsentenced prisoners, while Victoria had the lowest proportion (18%). All states and territories, except for Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and Queensland, recorded an increase in the proportion of their prisoner population on remand since 30 June 2012. Victoria recorded a decrease of 3% while the Australian Capital Territory recorded a decrease of 4%. (Table 15)

Most serious charge

At 30 June 2013, the most common most serious charge for unsentenced prisoners in all states and territories was acts intended to cause injury. (Table 31)

Time on remand

Time on remand is influenced by a number of factors, particularly the time it takes for a case to come before a court. Time on remand as reported in the Prisoner Census is time on remand to date as at 30 June 2013, not the total time spent on remand. For information about interpreting median time on remand based on a census 'snapshot' see Explanatory Notes, paragraphs 41-43.

The median number of months spent on remand by unsentenced prisoners in custody at 30 June 2013 was highest in Queensland (3.5 months), followed by New South Wales (3.3 months). The lowest median number of months spent on remand was in the Northern Territory (1.2 months), followed by the Australian Capital Territory (1.4 months). (Table 32)