Prisoner rates in the NT increased in 10 out of 11 key measures in the year to June 30, the greatest increase was those jailed for “acts intended to cause injury” which increased by 29 per cent, new Australian Bureau of Statistics data show.

The ABS released the Prisoners in Australia Report this week, and the number of prisoners in the NT increased by 10 per cent, up 165 to 1,799.

Prisoners with prior imprisonment increased by 10 per cent (117) to 1,327.  Prisoners without prior imprisonment increased by 11 per cent (45) to 471.

There were increases for most serious offences: acts intended to cause injury were up 29 per cent (199); sexual assaults and related offences were up 11 per cent (21); however, “offences against justice” were down 10 per cent (20).

The imprisonment rate increased by nine per cent (per 100,000 adult population), up from 887 to 971 prisoners per 100,000 adult population.

The number of male prisoners increased by nine per cent (138) to 1,676, while female prisoners increased by 37 per cent (35) to 129.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners increased by 12 per cent (169) to 1,540.

Sentenced prisoners increased by one per cent (11) to 1,163. Unsentenced prisoners increased by 32 per cent (153) to 637.

Across the country, from June 30 2020 to June 30 2021, Australian prisoners increased by five per cent (1,910) to 42,970.  The imprisonment rate also increased by five per cent from 205 to 214 prisoners per 100,000 adult population.

From June 30 2020 to June 30 2021:

• Sentenced prisoners decreased by one per cent (169) to 27,680. Conversely, unsentenced prisoners increased by 16 per cent (2,085) to 15,182
• Male prisoners increased by five per cent (1,772) to 39,680.  Female prisoners also increased by five per cent (148) to 3,292

Additionally across the country, prisoners with prior adult imprisonment increased by five per cent (1,310) to 25,723.  Prisoners without prior adult imprisonment increased by 4 per cent (599) to 17,227.

There were increases in total prisoners in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory; and decreases in Western Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory

Read the full report here click here.