AGE

For each of the selected states and territories, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders had a lower median age compared with non-Indigenous offenders (Table 18). The median age for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders in each selected state or territory was:

• New South Wales - 25 years (non-Indigenous offenders 28 years);
• Queensland - 26 years (non-Indigenous offenders 27 years);
• South Australia - 27 years (non-Indigenous offenders 30 years); and
• Northern Territory - 27 years (non-Indigenous offenders 28 years).

AGE STANDARDISED RATES

The following rates have been age standardised. Age standardisation is a method of removing the influence of age when comparing populations with different age distributions. When comparing rates of offending for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous offenders, it is preferable to use age standardised rates (refer to paragraphs 27-32 of the Explanatory Notes).

The age standardised offender rates per 100,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons aged 10 years and over in 2013-14 were:

• 9,648 in South Australia;
• 9,368 in Queensland;
• 9,090 in the Northern Territory; and
• 4,986 in New South Wales.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander age standardised offender rate was highest in South Australia. This rate was seven times the non-Indigenous age standardised offender rate, while the ratio for the other selected states and territories was eight times in the Northern Territory, and five times in Queensland and New South Wales. (Table 17)