Prison facts and statistics - March 2010

This page shows statistical information on the:

Prisoner population by location and status
(as at March 31 2010)
Prison

Status

Total
 RemandSentenced 
Male170862647972
ACRP38815403
Auckland0643643
Christchurch Men's184676860
Hawkes Bay94526620
Invercargill48103151
Manawatu78202280
Mt Eden199208407
New Plymouth2876104
Northland121237358
Otago77269346
Rimutaka128795923
Rolleston0318318
Spring Hill0565565
Tongariro/Rangipo0432432
Waikeria318632950
Wanganui45447492
Wellington0120120
Female111386497
Arohata24117141
Auckland Women's72172244
Christchurch Women's1597112
Total181966508469

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 March 2010)

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 March 2010)

A graph showing the proportion of offenders 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 March 2010)

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


Security classification of sentenced prisoners

A graph showing the proportion of sentenced prisoners by security classification.


Percentage of sentenced prisoners on indeterminate sentences*
(as at March 2010)

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