More prisoners means higher cost to the taxpayer, figures show
THE state’s burgeoning prison population is costing taxpayers an extra $51 million a year compared with three years ago, figures reveal.
THE state’s burgeoning prison population is costing taxpayers an extra $51 million a year compared with three years ago, figures reveal.
And the number of prisoners on remand and awaiting trial has increased to record levels, with two out of every five inmates now languishing unsentenced in custody.
The Victims’ Rights Commissioner has called for better programming, including access to rehabilitation services, for prisoners on remand, instead of “letting them dwindle”.
The figures, which are contained in new statistical “dashboards” compiled by the Attorney-General’s Department, show total prisoner numbers increased by 31 per cent between 2013 and June 1 last year, from 2277 to 2996.
The taxpayer bill for the growing prison population has increased by $51 million a year in that period, with each inmate costing $71,000 a year to house.
As of June 1, the figures show that of the state’s 2996 prisoners:
1242 – or 41.5 per cent – were on remand and awaiting trial, compared with 790 in 2013.
271 – or one in 11 – were in custody for murder, of which 234 were serving a sentence and 37 were on remand and awaiting trial.
355 were convicted of sex offences and a further 58 alleged sex offences were on remand and awaiting trial.
The 57 per cent increase in remandees can be directly attributed to new measures to combat domestic violence, which were introduced in 2011, and a rise in the number of people charged with violence-related offences.
Attorney-General John Rau said the increase was a concern and caused by several factors “working together”, including the number of longer remands for alleged violent offenders.
He said an increase in the awareness and response to domestic violence complaints at “several levels” was a significant factor.
“Increased willingness to report incidents, a police attitude of no tolerance to these sorts of allegations and the presumption against bail in domestic violence matters results in a surge in remanding people in custody,” Mr Rau said.
Legislation that will give the courts more sentencing options – including allowing nonviolent criminals to serve their sentence on home detention – are before Parliament.
Most of those serving sentences were convicted of assaults, break and enter, robbery, sexual assault, murder and breaching parole, community service or intervention orders.
The bulk of those on remand were awaiting trial on assault, breaching conditions, break and enter or robbery.
The most common offending for sentenced prisoners was trafficking drugs, murder and fraud, while for remandees it was breaches of conditions, assault and fraud.
Mr Rau said the data, which will be published on the Attorney-General’s Department website, supported the State Government in its decision-making processes and would also “inform the public”.
“Through initiatives currently being developed – such as reforms to the way major indictable offences are handled – we are continuing to look at ways to deliver improvements in the justice system,” he said.
However, Victims’ Rights Commissioner Michael O’Connell said: “We should be tackling the issues that led to (prisoners) being on remand rather than leaving them to dwindle.”
But he said the increase suggested bail authorities were taking seriously “the need to protect victims and maintain community safety”.
The figures also show progress is slowly being made in reducing court workloads, with criminal lodgements and finalisations in magistrates courts dropping in 2014 and 2015.
The clearance rate for District Court criminal matters increased, with 99 per cent of lodgements cleared in 2015.
Finalisation times also decreased, from 18 weeks in 2012 to 15 weeks.
These improvements are due to 2013 Sentencing Act amendments, which provided incentives to offenders to plead guilty at an early stage in proceedings and receive a discounted sentence.