Media Release
Embargo 1 a.m. Thursday 23 May 2013
A new report from the Sentencing Advisory Council shows Victoria’s prison population has increased by more than one third over the last ten years, a rate faster than increases in the general population. This has led to the imprisonment rate increasing 18.6 per cent from 94.2 to 111.7 people in prison per 100,000 population.
While the overall crime rate in Victoria has decreased, the rates for offences against the person, offences against good order and drug offences have all increased.
Alongside an increase in the imprisonment rate, there has been a significant increase in the number of prisoners held on remand while awaiting trial or sentencing.
The average length of prison sentences has increased, with the average expected time to serve for prisoners rising 22.2% over the survey period, from 40.1 to 49 months.
For those sentenced in the higher courts, the proportion of sentences involving imprisonment has increased.
The report finds that changes to the law on the imposition of suspended sentences for serious offences committed after November 2006 were unlikely to be responsible for the observed increase in the imprisonment rate. It is also too early to observe any effects of the May 2011 abolition of suspended sentenced for serious and significant offences.
The Council’s report concludes that the increase in Victoria’s prison population between 2002 and 2012 was due to:
- increased lengths of prison sentences;
- increased use of custodial sentences in the higher courts;
- reduction in the percentage of defendants being granted bail; and
- increased occurrence of offences against the person, drug offences and offences against good order.
Victoria’s Prison Population 2002-2012 is available from the Council’s website.
