Prisoners in Australia – Statistics from ABS

A recently released publication, “Prisoners in Australia”, shows that prisoner numbers have increased 50% over the ten years 1993 - 2003.

In the past 10 years, the prisoner population in Australia increased by nearly 50%, from 15,866 in 1993 to 23,555 in 2003, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

This increase has exceeded the 15% growth in the Australian adult population in the same period.

From 1993 to 2003 (at 30 June), the female prisoner population increased by 110%, compared to a 45% increase in the male prisoner population. Overall, the adult imprisonment rate increased from 119 to 153 prisoners per 100,000 adult population.

Other changes in the prison population in the 1993-2003 period include:

• The proportion of Indigenous people in the prison population has risen from 15% to 20%
• The mean age of prisoners has increased from 31 years to 34 years
• The proportion of unsentenced prisoners has increased from 12% to 20%
• The proportion of sentenced prisoners serving an aggregate sentence length of 10 years or more has increased from 9% to 13% 
• Sentenced prisoners with a most serious offence of homicide and related offences increased from 9% to 10% and assault from 11% to 13%.

Further details including state and territory breakdowns are available in

Prisoners in Australia>, 30 June 2003 (cat. no. 4517.0).

Follow this link to the ABS website for “Prisoners in Australia”

Copies can be purchased at the contact below.

For further information

Contact	:	National Information and Referral Service, Australian Bureau of Statistics
Phone	:	1300 135 070

WWW

:

http://www.abs.gov.au