Australia’s Prisoner Population: a Justice Re-investment Perspective
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Transcript of Australia’s Prisoner Population: a Justice Re-investment Perspective
Australia’s Prisoner Population: a Justice Re-investment Perspective
Tony Butler PhD
Head, Justice Health Research Program
Presentation
• Prisoner facts and figures – juvenile & adults• Health status• Challenges to Justice Reinvestment • Future Justice Reinvestment research
directions (IMHO)
Source: Juvenile Justice in Australia 2009-2010, AIHW.
1,635
1,359 1,304
0
473327
1010
6,205
443
171 1350 72 28 18 0
1,070
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Total
Num
ber
Young people aged 10-17 years - Juvenile Justice supervision - 2009-2010*
Community supervision Custody
18.4 18.118.9
0.0
22.3
13.8
22.3
0.0
18.3
1.2 1.5 1.4
0.0
1.4
3.5
2.1
0.0
1.4
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Total
Rate
per
100
0
Young people aged 10-17 years - Community based supervision by Indigenous status - 2009-2010
Indigenous Non-Indigenous
6.1
2.7 2.7
0.0
4.8
2.2
6.3
0.0
4.3
0.30.1 0.1
0.00.2
0.4 0.3
0.00.2
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Total
Rate
per
100
0
Young people aged 10-17 years - Custody by Indigenous status - 2009-2010
Indigenous Non-Indigenous
Source: Juvenile Justice in Australia 2009-2010, AIHW.
Adult prisoner population – Australia*
• ~30,000 adult prisoners in full-time custody• ~54,000 adults in community-based corrections
• ~500,000 former prisoners**
• Median age men 35.5 years• Median age women 36.2 years
• 55% prior imprisonment
• Median imprisonment 38.9 months
* Prisoner in Australia, ABS 2011** Martire K, Larney S. Inadequate data collection prevents health planning for released prisoners. MJA 2009;191:408-9.
22458 22492
2355524171
2535325790
27224 27615
29317 29700
153
151
156
157
162163
169168
175
172
135
140
145
150
155
160
165
170
175
180
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Rate/100,000
Pris
oner
pop
ulati
on
Year
Total
Rate
Trend in the Australian prisoner population
Age distribution of adult prisoner population
0.2
1.2
2.0
16.0
18.0
17.0
14.7
11.4
7.9
4.7
3.0
1.9 2.0
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
12.0
14.0
16.0
18.0
20.0
<18 18 19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65+
%
Age group
Series1
Offence type
0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0
Acts intended to cause injury
Sexual assault
Drug offences
Unlawful entry
Justice procedures, gov't security and operations
Homicide
Robbery, extortion and related
Theft
Traffic
Fraud, deception
Dangerous or negligent acts
Property damage and environmental pollution
Abduction, harassment
Weapons and explosives offences
Public order
Other/unknown
%
Source: world prison brief, Accessed 21 July 2012. http://www.prisonstudies.org/info/worldbrief/wpb_stats.php?area=all&category=wb_poprate
International league table – incarceration rate
2294
295
1654
483
1772
74
1042
42
7656
2,351
1,321
1,693
2,634
3,810
605
2,419
1,456
2,247
-
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
NSW Victoria Queensland South Australia
Western Australia
Tasmania Northern Territory
ACT Total
Abo
rigi
nal r
ate
per 1
00,0
00
Abo
rgin
al p
riso
ners
Adult Aboriginal prisoner population and rate, 2011*
* Prisoners in Australia, 2011
** Source: Dixon, B. 10 worst places to be black. http://www.blackcommentator.com/146/146_cover_dixon_ten_worst.html
Wisconsin **
Iowa** Texas**
Oklahoma** Arizona**
73% women, 53% men – IDU22% ICD-10 alcohol use disorder85% current tobacco smokers
Prisoner health overview
49% women, 16% men – childhood sex abuse60% women, 14% men - sexually coerced
46% receptions ICD-10 mental health problem26% ICD-10 diagnosis of PTSD16% currently on psychiatric medication82% TBI (64% w/LOC)
<1% HIV antibody positive22% HCV antibody positive (4%-40%)19% HBV antibody positive (9%-39%)41% unimmunised against HBV2% treated for HCV
Mortality in New South Wales’ prisoners 1988-2002*
• Data-linkage study• 85,203 men and women (90% men)• 7,980 men Indigenous men and 1,373 Indigenous women• Age 27 years• Over 5000 deaths between 1988 and 2002 (558 Indigenous
deaths)• All-cause SMR 3.7 men and 7.8 women
* Kariminia A, Butler T, et al. Extreme cause specific mortality among adults who have served time in prison: A cohort study. Int J Epidemiology. 2007;36:310–6
• NSW Aboriginal men - 12,161 years in prison (4,441,805 days)• NSW Aboriginal women - 1,032 years in prison (376,938 days)
• Australia - Aboriginal men 64,005 years in prison (23,377,922 days)• Australia - Aboriginal women 5,432 years in prison (1,983,884 days)
$5,072,361,316
“The mood and temper of the public with regard to the treatment of crime and criminals is one of the most unfailing
tests of the civilisation of any country”
(Winston Churchill, 1910)
Jurisdictional comments - New South Wales
• Community order completion rate high (81%)• Introduction of Intensive Correction Order (ICO) to
replace periodic detention• Launched new Aboriginal Strategic Plan (includes
affordable Aboriginal housing project)
Jurisdictional comment - Victoria
“…commitment for an extra 500 beds over four years”
• “…development of a detailed business case for a new male prison……”
• “Ongoing construction of a 350 bed expansion of the Ararat prison…”
Jurisdictional comment - Queensland
“…completion of the first stage of the redevelopment of the Lotus Glen Correctional Centre delivering 300
new cells as associated services…”
“…by ensuring prisoners are securely and humanely contained…..modify cells at Arthur Gorrie,…..and
Numinbah”
Jurisdictional comment – South Australia
“agenda of change for improved service delivery firmly based on evidence-based practice aimed to enhance public safety.”
“It is particularly pleasing that South Australia continues to report a reduction in offenders returning to prison …..compared to the
national average”
“Commissioned a new 36 bed unit for low security prisoners at Port Lincoln Prison…..”
“Commenced construction of a 80-bed high-security cellblock at Port Augusta Prison…..”
Jurisdictional comment – Tasmania
“..ten year strategic plan for the Tasmanian corrections system, Breaking the Cycle….”
…”Prison Infrastructure Redevelopment Program…”
Jurisdictional comment – Northern Territory
“..implementing significant policy reform aimed at reducing recidivism under the New Era in Corrections”
“…extremely low levels of literacy and numeracy……prisoners attend basic literacy and numeracy courses..”
“...NT Government has entered into a Project Deed …for the design, construction and finance of the new Darwin Correctional
Precinct…”
Jurisdictional comment – ACT
“….independent review….many positive findings…”
Jurisdictional comment – Western Australia
“To meet the predicted continued growth in the prisoner population, the Department has completed an intensive construction
program during 2010/11 to expand operational capacity across the prison system by 844 beds. Therefore, the Custodial
Infrastructure Program, initiated in 2009, will have added 2,661 beds to the system when it is completed. Included in this project
is the creation of an 80-bed Young Adults Facility designed specifically for 18-24 year old males, recognising the unique
needs of this age group and focussing on creating pathways out of offending.”
Challenges to implementing JR
• Do politicians have the will for Justice Re-investment?• Do the public have the will for Justice Re-investment?• More cost benefit analyses and economic modelling to
support the JR approach• National approach difficult due to state & territory
variations• More pilot schemes across Australia• Proper evaluations and good evidence