Prison facts and statistics - December 2009

This page shows statistical information on the:

Prisoner population by location and status
(as at December 2009)
Prison

Status

Total
 RemandSentenced 
Male162461277751
ACRP32813341
Auckland0657657
Christchurch Men's173674847
Hawkes Bay89533622
Invercargill39114153
Manawatu76211287
Mt Eden249153402
New Plymouth296392
Northland103194297
Otago59197256
Rimutaka114775889
Rolleston0312312
Spring Hill0538538
Tongariro/Rangipo0495495
Waikeria325633958
Wanganui40447487
Wellington0118118
Female105388493
Arohata20105125
Auckland Women's71194265
Christchurch Women's1489103
Total172965158244

Total prison population

A graph charting the total prison population.

View a larger version of the total prison population graph.


Percentage of prisoners in different age groups
(as at December 2009)

A graph showing the percentage of the prison population in different age groups.


Percentage of sentenced prisoners according to most serious* offence type
(as at December 2009)

A graph showing the percentage of prisoners by offence type.

* Prisoners may be convicted of offences across multiple categories. This information is based on the most serious offence a prisoner is convicted of.


Ethnicity of prisoners
(as at December 2009)

A graph showing the proportion of different ethnicities that make up the prison population.


Percentage of sentenced prisoners on indeterminate sentences*
(as at December 2009)

A graph showing the proportion of prisoners on indeterminate sentences.

* Indeterminate sentences refer to preventive detention and life sentences that have no end date. Prisoners on these sentences are only released at the discretion of the Parole Board and are subject to recall to prison if released on parole.


Rate of imprisonment

Number of prisoners per 100,000 population

United States756
Chile305
Singapore267
Poland221
Malaysia192
New Zealand185
Czech Republic182
Spain160
England and Wales153
Hungary149
Australia129
Canada116
Denmark63

Other facts and figures

  • Approximately 50 per cent of those released or paroled do not return to prison within four years
  • The average annual cost of housing a prisoner is $90,977 or $249.25 per day
  • Prisoners are fed at a cost of less than $5 a day per person
  • 67 per cent of sentenced prisoners are engaged in employment activity
  • 55 per cent of sentenced prisoners are engaged in rehabilitation activity
  • 23 per cent of the total prison population are gang members
  • Corrections provided 44,596 pre-sentence reports to the judiciary in the 2008/09 financial year

* Most of the figures under Other statistics come from the 2008/09 financial year or from a snapshot at 30 June 2009. Re-imprisonment figures are from a 2008 report Reconviction patterns of released prisoners: A 48-month follow up analysis