MOST SERIOUS OFFENCE/CHARGE
A most serious offence/charge is determined for each prisoner (see Explanatory Notes, paragraphs 79-82). At 30 June 2011, the most prevalent offences/charges for prisoners (either sentenced or unsentenced) were: acts intended to cause injury (19%); sexual assault (13%); illicit drug offences and unlawful entry with intent (both 11%); homicide, robbery and extortion, and offences against justice (all 10%). Together, these offences/charges accounted for over three quarters (84%) of all prisoners in 2011. (Table 2.6)
Age
Prisoners aged 25-34 years accounted for the highest proportion of prisoners for the following offences/charges:
- unlawful entry with intent, and theft (43%);
- robbery and extortion (41%);
- acts intended to cause injury (39%); and
- illicit drugs (32%). (Table 2.4)
Prisoners aged 35-44 years accounted for the highest proportion of prisoners for homicide and sexual assault (29% and 26% respectively).
PROPORTION OF PRISONERS, selected most serious offence/charge, by age group
The following graph shows that when comparing different offences across 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 age group (41% 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 groups by selected most serious offence/charge
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