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WOMEN IN PRISON

Women make up 7% of Australia’s prison population (ABS 2005). In the past 10 years, the number of women in prison has increased by 110%. In the same period, the male prison population has increased by 45%.
Indigenous women are the fastest growing prison population in Australia (HREOC SJR 2004). In the 10 years between 1993 and 2003, the number of Aboriginal women in prison grew from 111 women to 381 women. (HREOC SJR 2004)
In NSW, there are 177 aboriginal women in full time custody (End of june 2005). They make up 29.6% of the female prison population. (29.6 % of female prison pop) (DCS Annual report 04-05) Outside prison, Aboriginal women are only 2% of NSW’s female population (ABS 2001).return to top

CULTURE AND ETHINICITY

Indigenous prisoners represented 22% of the total prisoner population in Australia at 30 June 2005. The number of inmates identifying as Indigenous in NSW prisons in June 2005 was 1682 (17% of the prison population); ABS 2004
Most prisoners in NSW (77.5%) were born in Australia. 22.5% were born overseas; NSW DCS Facts and Figures August 2005 return to top

MENTAL HEALTH:

According to the 2001 Inmate Health Survey, 54% of women and 41% of men had received some form of treatment or assessment for an emotional or mental problem during their life. These admissions were more likely to have occurred in the community rather than in prison; Corrections Health Service (CHS)
50% of males and 30% of females warrant mental health referral for major depression; 2001 NSW inmate health survey.
The prevalence of psychiatric disorders amongst the NSW prison population is much higher than in the general population – 74% compared to 22%; 2001 NSW inmate health survey return to top

INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY

It is difficult to get an accurate picture of the representation of the intellectually disabled in the prison system. According to the NSW Law Reform Commission, people with an intellectual disability are incarcerated at four times the rate of the general population, despite only making up 2-3% of NSW’s population.
(NSW LRC Report no 80 – People With an Intellectual Disability and the Criminal Justice System)
People with intellectual disability are not inherently prone to commit criminal acts. Research and experience shows that their over-representation in the juvenile and criminal justice systems is due to many reasons, including:
1) People with intellectual disability are more likely to be arrested, questioned and detained for minor infringements of public order law (because of “visibility”, and a lack of understanding about how to protect themselves from false incrimination);
2) People with intellectual disability are more likely to come before the courts due to the combination of (a) the misconstrued or misunderstood actions of a person with intellectual disability and (c) an association of aggressive behaviour and people with intellectual disability;
3) People with intellectual disability may experience prejudice and therefore be charged for an offence that they did not commit;
4) People with intellectual disability may not have their “rights” - such as the right to silence - explained in a way they can understand;
5) People with intellectual disability may be convicted more easily as they tend to confess rather than plea bargain;
6) People with intellectual disability may be more often refused bail, perhaps as a result of previous breaches of conditions, or lack of support and resources enabling them to obtain bail, or inadequate supervisory arrangements which do not satisfy the court’s requirements;
7) People with intellectual disability may receive more custodial sentences, for example, because of the lack of alternative placements in the community;
8) People with intellectual disability tend to serve longer sentences or a greater percentage of their sentence before being released on parole;
9) People with intellectual disability may be placed in maximum security facilities in order to have access to “protected” custody;
10) People with intellectual disability who are convicted also are likely to be manipulated by their peers while serving their sentence, leading to a loss of privileges and parole opportunities;
11) People with intellectual disability are at high risk of extended sentences and are also more likely to be abused and assaulted in the prison system.
(Council for Intellectual Disability Position Paper 2005 http://www.nswcid.org.au/systemic/position/justice.one.html ) return to top

AGE

The median age of prisoners in Australia is 32 years. The average age of the non-indigenous prisoner population in Australia is: female 35.4 years and male 34.9 years. The average age of the indigenous prisoner population in Australia is: female 30.7 and male 30.7 years
Australian Bureau of Statistics; Prisoners in Australia, 2005 return to top

PHYSICAL HEALTH

74% of female and 78% of male inmates used illicit drugs regularly in the twelve months before prison.
NSW Inmate Health Survey 2001
76% of women and 63% of men reported that their current sentence was linked to drugs.
NSW Inmate Health Survey 2001
64% of female and 40% male inmates are Hepatitis C positive.
Australia wide there were 37 deaths in custody in 2004, 6 of these were indigenous deaths. The most common manner of death was natural causes. In NSW there were 13 deaths in custody in 2004.
NSW DCS Annual Report 2004/05
Australian Institute of Criminology – ABS 2004
CRIME PROFILE
GENDER:
At June 30 2005, Males were more likely to be in prison for sexual assault and related offences than females (11% of males, 1% of females). Males were also more likely to be in prison for robbery, extortion and related offences (11% of males and 7% of females).
Females were more likely than males to be in prison for theft and related offences (11% of females and 6% of males) and illicit drug offences (13% of females and 10% of males).
Australian Bureau of Statistics; Prisoners in Australia, 2005 return to top

CRIME RATES:

The crime rate in NSW is falling steadily. Between 2003 and 2005, the recorded incidence of:
Robbery with a firearm fell 26.7 per cent
• Break and enter dwelling fell 11.0 per cent
• Break and enter non-dwelling fell 7.8 per cent
• Motor vehicle theft fell 12.4 per cent
• Steal from a motor vehicle fell 9.0 per cent
• Steal from a dwelling fell 5.4 per cent
• Steal from the person fell 12.5 per cent
(BOCSAR Recorded Crime Statistics http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/pages/bocsar_mr_rcs05 ) There is no corresponding decrease in the number of people going to prison.

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