Corrective Services, Australia

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National and state information about adult prisoners and community based corrections, including legal status, custody type, Indigenous status, sex.

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Reference period
March Quarter 2022
Released
9/06/2022
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Key statistics

  • Persons in custody were 40,330, reaching its lowest level since December quarter 2016
  • Sentenced prisoners decreased by 6% (1,534) since the December quarter 2021, down to 25,331
  • Community service orders decreased by 2% (316) since the December quarter 2021, down to 12,519

 

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.

Persons in custody

There were 40,330 (average daily number) prisoners, down from:

  • 40,862 in the December quarter 2021
  • 42,633 in the March quarter 2021

Of the 40,330 prisoners, there were:

  • 12,317 in New South Wales, up 1% for the quarter
  • 9,149 in Queensland, down 6%
  • 6,659 in Victoria, stable
  • 6,304 in Western Australia, down 1%
  • 2,998 in South Australia, down 1%
  • 1,881 in the Northern Territory, up 3%
  • 644 in Tasmania, up 1%
  • 379 in the Australia Capital Territory, down 3%

(a) Based on average daily number

Imprisonment rates

The imprisonment rate was 201 persons per 100,000 adult population, down from:

  • 204 persons in the December quarter 2021
  • 213 persons in the March quarter 2021

The imprisonment rate per 100,000 adult population was:

  • 1,020 persons for the Northern Territory, up 3% for the quarter
  • 305 for Western Australia, down 1%
  • 226 for Queensland, down 7%
  • 214 for South Australia, down 1%
  • 193 for New South Wales, up 1%
  • 150 for Tasmania, up 1%
  • 128 for Victoria, up 1%
  • 114 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% (37,341) were male
  • 7% (2,989) were female

Of all male prisoners:

  • 31% (11,500) were in New South Wales
  • 22% (8,326) were in Queensland
  • 17% (6,303) were in Victoria

Of all female prisoners:

  • 28% (822) were in Queensland
  • 27% (817) were in New South Wales
  • 20% (588) were in Western Australia

The imprisonment rate for male prisoners was 380 persons per 100,000 adult male population, down from 384 persons last quarter.

The imprisonment rate for female prisoners was 29 persons per 100,000 adult female population, down from 30 persons last quarter.

Type of custody

Of all prisoners:

  • 84% (33,986) were in secure custody
  • 16% (6,344) were in open custody

Legal status

37% (14,884) of the 40,322 prisoners (first day of the month) were unsentenced, up from:

  • 14,250 in the December quarter 2021
  • 14,559 in the March quarter 2021

Of all unsentenced prisoners:

  • 32% (4,729) were in New South Wales
  • 20% (3,047) were in Queensland
  • 19% (2,833) were in Victoria

63% (25,331) of the 40,322 prisoners (first day of the month) were sentenced, down from:

  • 26,865 in the December quarter 2021
  • 27,709 in the March quarter 2021

Of all sentenced prisoners:

  • 30% (7,580) were in New South Wales
  • 24% (6,074) were in Queensland
  • 17% (4,374) were in Western Australia

(a) Based on average number on the first day of the month

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners

There were 12,566 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners, down from:

  • 12,624 in the December quarter 2021
  • 12,886 in the March quarter 2021

Of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners:

  • 27% (3,413) were in New South Wales, 26% (3,290) were in Queensland, and 20% (2,541) were in Western Australia
  • 91% (11,410) were male
  • 61% (7,613) were sentenced

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rates

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate was 2,269 persons per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, down from:

  • 2,325 in the December quarter 2021
  • 2,373 in the March quarter 2021

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population was:

  • 3,598 for Western Australia, down 1% for the quarter
  • 3,033 for the Northern Territory, up 4%
  • 2,465 for South Australia, up 4%
  • 2,158 for Queensland, down 9%
  • 1,884 for New South Wales, down 1%
  • 1,747 for Victoria, stable
  • 1,714 for the Australia Capital Territory, down 5%
  • 793 for Tasmania, down 2%

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate for male prisoners was 4,180 persons per 100,000 adult male Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, down from 4,277 persons last quarter.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate for female prisoners was 411 persons per 100,000 adult female Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, down from 414 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 1,099 federal sentenced prisoners, down from:

  • 1,128 in the December quarter 2021
  • 1,126 in the March quarter 2021

77% (848) of all federal sentenced prisoners were held in New South Wales or Victoria.

Prisoner receptions

The total number of prisoner receptions was 14,829, down from:

  • 15,094 in the December quarter 2021
  • 16,481 in the March quarter 2021

Of all prisoner receptions:

  • 29% (4,296) were in New South Wales, 22% (3,324) were in Queensland, and 18% (2,647) were in Victoria
  • 88% (13,014) were male
  • 78% (11,620) were unsentenced

(a) Total number of prisoner receptions.

Prisoner releases

The total number of prisoner releases was 14,498, down from:

  • 16,648 in the December quarter 2021
  • 15,346 in the March quarter 2021

Of all prisoner releases:

  • 28% (4,105) were in New South Wales, 24% (3,475) were in Queensland, and 17% (2,519) were in Victoria
  • 88% (12,715) were male
  • 58% (8,380) were sentenced

(a) Total number of prisoner releases.

Community-based corrections

Persons in community-based corrections

There were 78,928 persons serving CBC orders:

  • down from 79,869 in the December quarter 2021
  • up from 77,529 in the March quarter 2021

Of all persons serving CBC orders, there were:

  • 34,265 in New South Wales, down 3% for the quarter
  • 19,992 in Queensland, up 1%
  • 9,408 in Victoria, up 1%
  • 5,735 in Western Australia, down 2%
  • 5,244 in South Australia, down 1%
  • 2,131 in Tasmania, up 1%
  • 1,213 in the Northern Territory, down 1%
  • 939 in the Australian Capital Territory, up 1%

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 393 persons per 100,000 adult population:

  • down from 398 persons in the December quarter 2021
  • up from 387 persons in the March quarter 2021

The rate of persons serving CBC orders per 100,000 adult population was:

  • 658 persons for the Northern Territory, down 1% for the quarter
  • 536 for New South Wales, down 3%
  • 497 for Tasmania, up 1%
  • 495 for Queensland, stable
  • 374 for South Australia, down 1%
  • 282 for the Australian Capital Territory, up 2%
  • 277 for Western Australia, down 2%
  • 180 for Victoria, up 2%

a) Rate per 100,000 persons for the state/territory of interest.

Sex

Of all persons serving CBC orders:

  • 81% (63,751) were male
  • 19% (15,144) were female

The rate for male persons serving CBC orders was 648 persons per 100,000 adult male population, down from 654 persons last quarter.

The rate for female persons serving CBC orders was 148 persons per 100,000 adult female population, down from 152 persons last quarter.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons serving community-based corrections orders

There were 18,506 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons serving CBC orders:

  • down from 18,600 in the December quarter 2021
  • up from 17,459 in the March quarter 2021

Of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons serving CBC orders:

  • 43% (7,902) were in New South Wales
  • 30% (5,521) were in Queensland
  • 9% (1,693) were in Western Australia

(a) Based on average number on the first day of the month.

Type of community-based corrections orders

There were 54,219 Sentenced probation orders:

  • down from 55,255 in the December quarter 2021
  • up from 53,562 in the March quarter 2021

a) Based on average number on the first day of the month

There were 18,267 Parole orders, up from:

  • 18,233 in the December quarter 2021
  • 17,451 in the March quarter 2021

a) Based on average number on the first day of the month

There were 12,519 Community service orders, down from:

  • 12,835 in the December quarter 2021
  • 12,688 in the March quarter 2021

a) Based on average number on the first day of the month

For information about corrective services data, please refer to the Methodology.

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Data files

Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 4512.0.

Methodology

Corrective Services, Australia methodology, March Quarter 2022