There have been various government restrictions in place across the states and territories due to COVID-19 since March 2020. The restrictions may have had an impact on criminal activity and the justice system.
Latest release
Corrective Services, Australia
National and state information about adult prisoners and community based corrections, including legal status, custody type, Indigenous status, sex.
Reference period
December Quarter 2021
Released
10/03/2022
Key statistics
- Persons in custody were 40,862, reaching its lowest level since March quarter 2017
- Unsentenced prisoners decreased by 7% (998) since the September quarter 2021, down to 14,250
- There were 18,233 Parole orders, compared to 17,861 last quarter and 17,641 in the previous December quarter 2020
Persons in custody
There were 40,862 (average daily number) prisoners:
- down from 42,506 in the September quarter 2021
- down from 41,668 in the December quarter 2020
Of the 40,862 prisoners, there were:
- 12,188 in New South Wales, down 4% for the quarter
- 9,766 in Queensland, down 4%
- 6,628 in Victoria, down 7%
- 6,388 in Western Australia, down 3%
- 3,025 in South Australia, down 3%
- 1,835 in the Northern Territory, up 1%
- 640 in Tasmania, down 1%
- 392 in the Australia Capital Territory, down 3%
(a) Based on average daily number
Imprisonment rates
The imprisonment rate was 204 persons per 100,000 adult population, down from:
- 212 persons in the September quarter 2021
- 208 persons in the December quarter 2020
The imprisonment rate per 100,000 adult population was:
- 994 persons for the Northern Territory, up 1% for the quarter
- 309 for Western Australia, down 4%
- 243 for Queensland, down 4%
- 216 for South Australia, down 3%
- 191 for New South Wales, down 4%
- 149 for Tasmania, down 1%
- 127 for Victoria, down 7%
- 117 for the Australian Capital Territory, down 3%
(a) Rate is the number of prisoners per 100,000 adult population. Based on average daily number.
Sex
Of all prisoners:
- 93% (37,798) were male
- 7% (3,064) were female
Of all male prisoners:
- 30% (11,393) were in New South Wales
- 23% (8,856) were in Queensland
- 17% (6,274) in Victoria
Of all female prisoners:
- 30% (910) were in Queensland
- 26% (795) were in New South Wales
- 20% (600) were in Western Australia
The imprisonment rate for male prisoners was 384 persons per 100,000 adult male population, down from 400 persons last quarter.
The imprisonment rate for female prisoners was 30 persons per 100,000 adult female population, down from 32 persons last quarter.
Type of custody
Of all prisoners:
- 84% (34,161) were in secure custody
- 16% (6,701) were in open custody
Legal status
35% (14,250) of the 41,211 prisoners (first day of the month) were unsentenced:
- down from 15,248 in the September quarter 2021
- up from 13,633 in the December quarter 2020
Of all unsentenced prisoners:
- 30% (4,275) were in New South Wales
- 21% (2,996) were in Queensland
- 19% (2,709) were in Victoria
65% (26,865) of the 41,211 prisoners (first day of the month) were sentenced, down from:
- 27,603 in the September quarter 2021
- 27,913 in the December quarter 2020
Of all sentenced prisoners:
- 30% (7,947) were in New South Wales
- 26% (6,854) were in Queensland
- 17% (4,481) were in Western Australia
(a) Based on average number on the first day of the month
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners
There were 12,624 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners:
- down from 12,996 in the September quarter 2021
- up from 12,344 in the December quarter 2020
Of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners:
- 28% (3,484) were in Queensland, 27% (3,363) were in New South Wales, and 20% (2,557) were in Western Australia
- 91% (11,488) were male
- 64% (8,152) were sentenced
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rates
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate was 2,325Â persons per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population down from:
- 2,394Â in the September quarter 2021
- 2,333 in the December quarter 2020
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population was:
- 3,647 for Western Australia, down 3% for the quarter
- 2,914 for the Northern Territory, up 1%
- 2,379 for South Australia, down 5%
- 2,363 for Queensland, down 3%
- 1,896 for New South Wales, down 4%
- 1,811 for the Australia Capital Territory, up 1%
- 1,754 for Victoria, down 5%
- 806 for Tasmania, stable
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate for male prisoners was 4,277Â persons per 100,000 adult male Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, down from 4,380Â persons last quarter.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate for female prisoners was 414 persons per 100,000 adult female Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, down from 449 persons last quarter.
a) Rate is the number of prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. Based on average daily number.
Federal sentenced prisoners
There were 1,128 federal sentenced prisoners was:
- down from 1,147 in the September quarter 2021
- up from 952 in the December quarter 2020
77% (864) of all federal sentenced prisoners were held in New South Wales or Victoria.
Prisoner receptions
The total number of prisoner receptions was 15,094, down from:
- 15,161 in the September quarter 2021
- 16,309 in the December quarter 2020
Of all prisoner receptions:
- 30% (4,485) were in New South Wales, 22% (3,344) were in Queensland, and 17% (2,529) were in Victoria
- 87% (13,182) were male
- 79% (11,850) were unsentenced
(a) Total number of prisoner receptions.
Prisoner releases
The total number of prisoner releases was 16,648, up from:
- 16,323 in the September quarter 2021
- 15,972 in the December quarter 2020
Of all prisoner releases:
- 27% (4,552) were in New South Wales, 25% (4,119) were in Queensland, and 17% (2,802) were in Victoria
- 88% (14,591) were male
- 60% (9,937) were sentenced
(a) Total number of prisoner releases.
Community-based corrections
Persons in community-based corrections
There were 79,869 persons serving CBC orders, up from:
- 79,211 in the September quarter 2021
- 77,919 in the December quarter 2020
Of all persons serving CBC orders, there were:
- 35,323 in New South Wales, down 1% for the quarter
- 19,824 in Queensland, up 2%
- 9,272 in Victoria, up 7%
- 5,866 in Western Australia, up 1%
- 5,305 in South Australia, up 1%
- 2,119 in Tasmania, up 1%
- 1,230 in the Northern Territory, up 8%
- 929 in the Australian Capital Territory, down 5%
a) Based on average number on the first day of the month
Rates for persons in community-based corrections
The rate of persons serving CBC orders was 398 persons per 100,000 adult population, up from:
- 395 persons in the September quarter 2021
- 389 persons in the December quarter 2020
The rate of persons serving CBC orders per 100,000 adult population was:
- 666 persons for the Northern Territory, up 8% for the quarter
- 552 for New South Wales, down 2%
- 494 for Tasmania, up 2%
- 493 for Queensland, up 2%
- 378 for South Australia, up 1%
- 284 for Western Australia, up 1%
- 277 for the Australian Capital Territory, down 5%
- 177 for Victoria, up 7%
a) Rate per 100,000 persons for the state/territory of interest.
Sex
Of all persons serving CBC orders:
- 81% (64,336) were male
- 19% (15,496) were female
The rate for male persons serving CBC orders was 654 persons per 100,000 adult male population, up from 649 persons last quarter.
The rate for female persons serving CBC orders was 152 persons per 100,000 adult female population, up from 151 persons last quarter.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons serving community-based corrections orders
There were 18,600 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons serving CBC orders, up from:
- 18,198 in the September quarter 2021
- 17,324 in the December quarter 2020
Of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons serving CBC orders:
- 43% (8,088) were in New South Wales
- 29% (5,437) were in Queensland
- 9% (1,697) were in Western Australia
(a) Based on average number on the first day of the month.
Type of community-based corrections orders
There were 55,255 Sentenced probation orders, up from:
- 55,084 in the September quarter 2021
- 53,973 in the December quarter 2020
a) Based on average number on the first day of the month
There were 18,233 Parole orders, up from:
- 17,861 in the September quarter 2021
- 17,641 in the December quarter 2020
a) Based on average number on the first day of the month
There were 12,835 Community service orders, down from:
- 13,020 in the September quarter 2021
- 12,900 in the December quarter 2020
a) Based on average number on the first day of the month
For information about corrective services data, please refer to the Methodology.
Data downloads
Corrective Services datacubes
Data files
Guide to finding data in the Corrective Services Australia publication tables
Corrective Services, Australia - December quarter 2021
Corrective Services, Australia - Prisoner receptions and prisoner releases - December quarter 2021
Corrective Services, Australia - Time series - December quarter 2021
Previous catalogue number
This release previously used catalogue number 4512.0.