Kyla
03-20-2004, 07:09 PM
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 by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). In the same period the Australian adult population as whole grew by 15%.
The female prisoner population more than doubled over the past decade, 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.
Director of the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, Don Weatherburn, says the increase is the likely result of four factors - an increase in crime, tougher sentencing, increases in bail refusals and harsher parole requirements.
"The tougher sentencing policies mean there is a higher percentage of those convicted receiving jail terms instead of penalties," he said. "And people who would previously be let out on parole are being kept in for the duration of their sentence."
The proportion of Indigenous people in the prison population has risen from 15% to 20%. Indigenous prisoners were also proportionally more likely to be serving shorter sentences than the overall prisoner population, with 42% of Indigenous prisoners expected to serve less than 12 months, compared with 31% of all prisoners.
The mean aggregate sentence length was 4.9 years and the mean expected time to serve was 3.2 years. The proportion of sentenced prisoners serving an aggregate sentence length of 10 years or more has increased from 9% to 13%.
Nearly 1 in 2 sentenced prisoners had a most serious offence involving violence or the threat of violence. Sentenced prisoners with a most serious offence of homicide and related offences increased from 9% to 10% and assault from 11% to 13%.
The mean age of prisoners has increased from 31 years to 34 years. Nearly 55% of prisoners were males aged 20-34 years, with females representing 7% of the total prisoner population.
Other findings include an increase in the proportion of unsentenced, or remand prisoners, from 12% to 20%; and that almost 60% of male prisoners and 50% of female prisoners are known to have prior imprisonment.
The female prisoner population more than doubled over the past decade, 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.
Director of the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, Don Weatherburn, says the increase is the likely result of four factors - an increase in crime, tougher sentencing, increases in bail refusals and harsher parole requirements.
"The tougher sentencing policies mean there is a higher percentage of those convicted receiving jail terms instead of penalties," he said. "And people who would previously be let out on parole are being kept in for the duration of their sentence."
The proportion of Indigenous people in the prison population has risen from 15% to 20%. Indigenous prisoners were also proportionally more likely to be serving shorter sentences than the overall prisoner population, with 42% of Indigenous prisoners expected to serve less than 12 months, compared with 31% of all prisoners.
The mean aggregate sentence length was 4.9 years and the mean expected time to serve was 3.2 years. The proportion of sentenced prisoners serving an aggregate sentence length of 10 years or more has increased from 9% to 13%.
Nearly 1 in 2 sentenced prisoners had a most serious offence involving violence or the threat of violence. Sentenced prisoners with a most serious offence of homicide and related offences increased from 9% to 10% and assault from 11% to 13%.
The mean age of prisoners has increased from 31 years to 34 years. Nearly 55% of prisoners were males aged 20-34 years, with females representing 7% of the total prisoner population.
Other findings include an increase in the proportion of unsentenced, or remand prisoners, from 12% to 20%; and that almost 60% of male prisoners and 50% of female prisoners are known to have prior imprisonment.