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Report on Government Services 2015

Chapter 8, Volume C

Corrective services

The Corrective services chapter (chapter 8) of the Report on Government Services reports on prison custody and a range of community corrections orders and programs for adult offenders which are delivered separately by the eight States and Territories.

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  • Key Facts
  • Indicator Framework
  • Indicator Results

In 2013-14, on average, 32 683 people per day were held in Australian prisons — an increase of 8.6 per cent from 2012-13. Nationally, 18.5 per cent of the total prisoner population (excluding periodic detainees) were held in privately operated facilities.

Males comprised 92.2 per cent of all prisoners in prison custody in Australia and 7.8 per cent were females. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners comprised 27.6 per cent of the total prisoner population.

Nationally, corrective services agencies operated 111 custodial facilities at 30 June 2014 — 85 government-operated prisons, nine privately operated prisons, four transitional centres, one periodic detention centre (ACT), and twelve 24-hour court-cell complexes (under the responsibility of corrective services in NSW).

Community corrections is responsible for a range of non-custodial sanctions and also manages prisoners who are released into the community and continue to be subject to corrective services supervision. In some jurisdictions, community corrections responsibility includes managing offenders on supervised bail orders.

Nationally, an average of 56 315 offenders per day were serving community corrections orders in 2013-14 — an increase of 3.1 per cent from 2012-13.

Males comprised 81.7 per cent of the daily number of offenders serving community corrections orders and 18.3 per cent were females. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders comprised 20.5 per cent of the total offender population.

Nationally, net operating expenditure on corrective services including depreciation was $3.4 billion in 2013-14.

Corrective services contribute to the whole-of-government priority, in all jurisdictions, to create safer communities through the administration of correctional sentences and orders. In summary, the objectives of corrective services are to:

  • provide a safe, secure and humane custodial environment
  • provide an effective community corrections environment
  • provide program interventions to reduce the risk of re-offending.

The performance indicator framework provides information on equity, efficiency and effectiveness, and distinguishes the outputs and outcomes of corrective services. The performance indicator framework shows which data are complete and comparable in the 2015 Report.

Indicator Framework

An overview of the Corrective services performance indicator results are presented. Information to assist the interpretation of these data can be found in the indicator interpretation boxes in the Corrective services chapter and attachment tables.

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Effectiveness (access, appropriateness, quality) indicators

Assaults in custody

Data for this indicator not complete or not directly comparable (chapter 8).

Prisoner on prisoner — Rate per 100 prisoners, 2013-14.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
Serious assault 0.36 1.26 1.54 0.30 0.62 0.64 2.41 0.20 0.79
Assault 14.20 11.86 5.20 7.46 9.46 5.08 5.43 2.86 9.81
Source: Attachment table 8A.14.
Prisoner on officer — Rate per 100 prisoners, 2013-14.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
Serious assault 0.05 0.06 0.18 0.05
Assault 0.55 1.98 0.34 1.91 0.42 0.64 0.60 0.20 0.95
Legend: – Nil or rounded to zero
Source: Attachment table 8A.14.

Apparent unnatural deaths

Data for this indicator comparable, subject to caveats (chapter 8).

Rate of deaths — Rate per 100 prisoners, 2013-14.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Non-Indigenous 0.05 0.04 0.10 0.11 0.38 0.49 0.06
All prisoners 0.04 0.03 0.06 0.08 0.30 0.07 0.04
Legend: – Nil or rounded to zero
Source: Attachment table 8A.15.
Number of deaths — Number per 100 prisoners, 2013-14.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Non-Indigenous 4 2 3 2 1 1 13
All prisoners 4 2 3 2 1 1 13
Legend: – Nil or rounded to zero
Source: Attachment table 8A.15.

Time out of cells

Data for this indicator comparable, subject to caveats (chapter 8).

Average hours per day, 2013-14.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
Hours 8.2 11.1 10.2 12.6 9.6 9.0 8.9 13.0 10.1
Source: Attachment table 8A.18.

Employment

Data for this indicator comparable, subject to caveats (chapter 8).

Number of prisoners employed as a percentage of those eligible to work, 2013-14.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 79.7 88.1 69.2 74.4 72.8 67.0 69.5 75.2 77.1
Source: Attachment table 8A.20.

Community work

Data for this indicator comparable but not complete, subject to caveats (chapter 8).

Ratio of number of hours directed to work and hours actually worked, 2013-14.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
Ratio na 2.9 2.1 1.9 3.9 na 1.9 1.8 na
Legend: na Not available
Source: Attachment table 8A.20.

Education and training

Data for this indicator comparable, subject to caveats (chapter 8).

Number of prisoners in education courses as a percentage of those eligible, 2013-14.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 35.1 33.4 26.4 29.1 59.4 13.1 82.7 12.8 32.7
Source: Attachment table 8A.21.

Efficiency indicators

Cost per prisoner/offender

Data for this indicator comparable, subject to caveats (chapter 8).

Average net cost per day excluding capital and payroll costs, 2013-14.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
Prisoner 181.6 269.6 180.3 283.4 208.2 332.4 259.3 211.0 218.9
Offender 22.7 27.0 13.2 42.9 17.1 11.8 18.1 39.5 21.6
Source: Attachment table 8A.7.

Offender-to-staff ratio

Data for this indicator comparable, subject to caveats (chapter 8).

Daily average number of offenders per full time corrective services staff member, 2013-14.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
Ratio 16.7 13.3 23.8 9.5 18.8 25.5 20.0 10.6 16.7
Source: Attachment table 8A.22.

Prison utilisation

Data for this indicator comparable but not complete, subject to caveats (chapter 8).

Average percentage of prison design capacity used during the year, 2013-14.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 109.4 na 98.0 101.1 na 77.1 122.7 124.7 104.4
Legend: na Not available
Source: Attachment table 8A.23.

Outcome indicators

Escapes

Data for this indicator comparable, subject to caveats (chapter 8).

Number and rate per 100 prisoners, 2013-14.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
Open (rate) 0.31 0.77 0.31 0.10 0.78 0.36
Secure (rate) 0.02 0.22 0.05 0.20 0.05
Open (no.) 12 7 2 1 4 26
Secure (no.) 1 9 1 2 13
Legend: – Nil or rounded to zero
Source: Table 8.3 and attachment table 8A.17.

Completion of community orders

Data for this indicator comparable, subject to caveats (chapter 8).

Percentage of orders completed, 2013-14.
  NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
% 74.0 66.4 77.3 60.0 70.1 87.1 77.0 69.2 72.8
Source: Attachment table 8A.19.