Prison facts and statistics - June 2010

This page shows statistical information on the:

Prisoner population by location and status
(as at June 30 2010)
Prison

Status

Total
 RemandSentenced 
Male177564798254
ACRP38510395
Auckland0627627
Christchurch Men's205694899
Hawke's Bay87532619
Invercargill5988147
Manawatu79201280
Mt Eden195232427
New Plymouth247397
Northland126272398
Otago77304381
Rimutaka119800919
Rolleston0316316
Spring Hill0634634
Tongariro/Rangipo0452452
Waikeria296687983
Wanganui56439495
Wellington0118118
Police cells67 67
Female133429562
Arohata22113135
Auckland Women's81201282
Christchurch Women's21115136
Police cells9 9
Total190869088816

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 June 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 June 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 June 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 June 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