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