The Northern Territory continues to have the highest incarceration rate, and second highest Indigenous incarceration rate, of all states and territories, even through the COVID-19 pandemic, according to ABS data released today.
The June quarter 2020 ABS data on persons in corrective services showed that the NT has 914 persons per 100,000 adult population in jail – way above the national average of 210 per 100,000.
However, the ABS found that across Australia, the NT also had the highest imprisonment rate decrease, dropping by 58 persons per 100,000 adult population or an actual 110 prisoners less to 1,675 for the June 2020 quarter.
Overall, the average daily number of prisoners in Australia in the June quarter 2020 decreased by five per cent or 2,375 for the quarter down to 41,784, compared with 44,159 in the March quarter this year.
Male prisoners are the most incarcerated at 92 per cent or 38,534 and female prisoners represented eight per cent or 3,250.
Meanwhile, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners in the June quarter 2020 decreased by five per cent or 601 for the quarter down to 12,301, compared with the March quarter figure of 12,902.
Western Australia continued to have the highest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate of all states and territories, while Victoria had the highest decrease in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rates.
The NT held the second-highest rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment in the country behind WA, but its numbers were closer to the national average.
Whats this say about the rate of criminality of certain demographics?
mental health issues are known to be major catalyst for incarceration. Australian Institute of Criminology has a number of worthy publications https://www.aic.gov.au/. Where Darwin has 18 beds per 100,000 population for mental health and the national average is 42 beds per 100,000 for mental health services, there is ample opportunity for lives to spiral out of control in Darwin. Govt mandarins not funding health, is the demographic I find appalling.
Your absolutely right.. the comment by Boganis is wrong, obtuse and plain stupid. I have just attempted to get someone some Mental Health help and found it difficult and confusing! The NT’s Mental Health services are over stretched, under funded and support is limited. Do we have enough Mental Health speacilists in the NT ? No, no we dont. Lets go spend money on Turf Club Buildings, public Parks and overseas junkets but its ok to underfund Mental Health initiatives/programmes.
child sexual assault oft creates adults unable to navigate emotion. Care Leavers Australia does good works, but a terrible irony that high proportion of child sexual assault victims end up in prison. Recommend this book, David Hollinsworth, ‘race and racism in Australia’ https://www.booktopia.com.au/race-and-racism-in-australia-david-hollinsworth/book/9780170127806.html. Not a sermon. statistics are staggering, worthy read. inter-generational damage. all the best