IMPRISONMENT RATES

At 30 June 2010, the Northern Territory continued to have the highest imprisonment rate at 663 prisoners per 100,000 adult population. All states and territories, with the exception of Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory, recorded increased imprisonment rates since 2000. The Northern Territory recorded the largest percentage increase in the imprisonment rate between 2000 and 2010, rising 41% (from 469 prisoners per 100,000 adult population to 663 prisoners per 100,000 adult population). This was followed by South Australia, increasing by 35% (from 113 to 153 prisoners per 100,000 adults). The imprisonment rate in Queensland decreased between 2000 and 2010 (3%, from 167 to 162 prisoners per 100,000 adults), and a slight decrease (1%) was also recorded for the Australian Capital Territory over the same period (from 102 to 101 prisoners per 100,000 adults). (Table 3.4)

Sex

Between 2000 and 2010 the female imprisonment rate increased in all states and territories except for the Australian Capital Territory, which decreased from 19 to 18 female prisoners per 100,000 adult females. The Northern Territory recorded the highest proportional increase in the female imprisonment rate between 2000 and 2010, an increase of 158% (from 24 to 62 female prisoners per 100,000 adult female population), followed by Tasmania, with an increase of 82% (from 11 to 20 female prisoners per 100,000 adult female population).

Between 2000 and 2010 the male imprisonment rate increased in all states and territories, except Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory. The Northern Territory recorded the highest proportional increase in the male imprisonment rate, an increase of 41% (from 865 to 1,219 male prisoners per 100,000 adult male population), followed by South Australia, with an increase of 34% (from 218 to 291 male prisoners per 100,000 adult male population). Queensland recorded a proportional decrease in male imprisonment rates of 6% (from 318 to 300 prisoners per 100,000 adult males) while the Australian Capital Territory recorded a 2% decrease (from 188 to 185 prisoners per 100,000 adult males).

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