Corrective Services, Australia

This is not the latest release View the latest release

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

Reference period
March Quarter 2023
Released
8/06/2023

Key statistics

  • 41,833 persons were in custody in the March quarter 2023, up 2% (804 persons) from the December quarter 2022.
  • Unsentenced prisoners were up 4% (643 persons) for the quarter, to 16,158.
  • 79,342 persons were serving community-based corrections (CBC) orders, up 1% (415 persons) from the December quarter 2022.

There were various government restrictions in place across the states and territories due to COVID-19 from March 2020 to February 2022. The restrictions may have had an impact on criminal activity and the justice system.

Persons in custody

There were 41,833 (average daily number) prisoners, up from:

  • 41,029 in the December quarter 2022
  • 40,330 in the March quarter 2022

(a) Based on average daily number

Imprisonment rates

The imprisonment rate was 205 persons per 100,000 adult population, up from:

  • 202 persons in the December quarter 2022
  • 201 persons in the March quarter 2022

(a) Rate is the number of prisoners per 100,000 adult population. Based on average daily number.

Sex

Of all prisoners:

  • 93% (38,717) were male
  • 7% (3,116) were female

The imprisonment rate for male prisoners was 386 persons per 100,000 adult male population, up from 382 persons last quarter.

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

Type of custody

Of all prisoners:

  • 84% (34,993) were in secure custody
  • 16% (6,840) were in open custody

Legal status

39% (16,158) of the 41,621 prisoners (first day of the month) were unsentenced, up from: 

  • 15,515 in the December quarter 2022
  • 14,884 in the March quarter 2022

61% (25,367) of the 41,621 prisoners (first day of the month) were sentenced:

  • down from 25,565 in the December quarter 2022
  • up from 25,331 in the March quarter 2022

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

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners

There were 13,716 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners, up from:

  • 13,197 in the December quarter 2022
  • 12,566 in the March quarter 2022

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rates

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate was 2,418 persons per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, up from:

  • 2,383 in the December quarter 2022
  • 2,269 in the March quarter 2022

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate for male prisoners was 4,445 persons per 100,000 adult male Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, up from 4,395 persons last quarter.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate for female prisoners was 445 persons per 100,000 adult female Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, up from 427 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 1,092 federal sentenced prisoners, down from:

  • 1,094 in the December quarter 2022
  • 1,099 in the March quarter 2022

Prisoner receptions

The total number of prisoner receptions was 17,336, up from:

  • 16,805 in the December quarter 2022
  • 14,829 in the March quarter 2022

 

(a) Total number of prisoner receptions.

Prisoner releases

The total number of prisoner releases was 16,155:

  • down from 16,964 in the December quarter 2022
  • up from 14,498 in the March quarter 2022

 

(a) Total number of prisoner releases.

Community-based corrections

Persons in community-based corrections

There were 79,342 persons serving CBC orders, up from:

  • 78,927 in the December quarter 2022
  • 78,928 in the March quarter 2022

(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 389 persons per 100,000 adult population:

  • stable from 389 persons in the December quarter 2022
  • down from 393 persons in the March quarter 2022

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

Sex

Of all persons serving CBC orders:

  • 81% (64,206) were male
  • 19% (15,104) were female

The rate for male persons serving CBC orders was 640 persons per 100,000 adult male population, down from 641 persons last quarter.

The rate for female persons serving CBC orders was 145 persons per 100,000 adult female population, down from 146 last quarter.

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

There were 19,060 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons serving CBC orders, up from:

  • 18,958 in the December quarter 2022
  • 18,506 in the March quarter 2022

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

Type of community-based corrections orders

There were 54,809 Sentenced probation orders, up from:

  • 54,339 in the December quarter 2022
  • 54,219 in the March quarter 2022

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

There were 17,666 Parole orders, down from:

  • 17,803 in the December quarter 2022
  • 18,267 in the March quarter 2022

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

There were 12,429 Community service orders:

  • up from 12,405 in the December quarter 2022
  • down from 12,519 in the March quarter 2022

(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

Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 4512.0.

Back to top of the page