The imprisonment rate for the general population as well as for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, fell across the board by two per cent around the country in the September quarter.The biggest drop in prisoner numbers was in Victoria where they plummeted by six per cent.There were decreases in every other state and territory except Queensland and South Australia where prisoner numbers rose by one per cent.The latest figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics collating information from Corrective Services Australia for the September quarter, shows on average 205 people are being jailed every day which is down from 210 people per 100,000 adult population in June.The Northern Territory continues to hold the highest imprisonment rate in the nation with 899 persons per 100,000 in the adult population down from 914 persons.The biggest drop in numbers was in Western Australia where it fell from 341 people per 100,000 to 325.
In Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT and NSW the numbers also dropped.The ABS report also shows people serving community-based corrections orders is at its lowest point since March last year at 78,401 people.Male prisoners make up 92 per cent (37,864) of the overall population in jails around the country and females just 8 per cent (3,138).Most male prisoners, 70 per cent, were held in New South Wales (31 per cent or 11,874);Queensland (21 per cent or 8,103); and Victoria (18 per cent or 6,630).The most females prisoners 74 per cent were held in: New South Wales (26 per cent or 831); Queensland (26 per cent or 803); and Western Australia (22 per cent or 696).The statistics show the imprisonment rate for male prisoners was down from 395 to 386 persons per 100,000 adult male population.The imprisonment rate for female prisoners was down from 32 persons to 31 per 100,000 adult female population.
The number of people serving community based corrections orders fell to 78,401 the lowest number in more than year.The national average daily Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate was down from 2,325 persons to 2,282 per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population.The fall in prisoner numbers was for both male and female.
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WA continued to have the highest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate of all states and territories at 3,842 persons, down from 3,976 persons per 100,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adult population last quarter.Victoria had the greatest fall in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rates down 140 persons for the quarter to 1,837 persons per 100,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adult population.There were also Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate decreases for the quarter for all states and territories except for South Australia.
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