5.5 Previous Periods in Custody

A much larger proportion of female (62%) than male (40%) inmates had no previous terms in custody. The smaller proportion of female inmates (23%) who had served two or more previous terms in prison (compared to males, 45%) also reflects the tendency for women inmates to re-offend less frequently and/or seriously.

Table 5-5 Previous periods in custody for sentenced inmates

Number of previous custodial sentences	Female		Male		Total
Number of previous custodial sentences	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
0	161	61.5%	1947	40.3%	2108	41.4%
1	41	15.6%	708	14.6%	749	14.7%
2	17	6.5%	500	10.3%	517	10.1%
3 - 5	28	10.7%	882	18.2%	910	17.9%
6 - 10	10	3.8%	584	12.1%	594	11.7%
11 - 20	5	1.9%	194	4.0%	199	3.9%
21 - 50	0	0.0%	18	0.4%	18	0.4%
Total	262	100.0%	4833	100.0%	5095	100.0%

Percentages may not add to 100 because of rounding.

Table 5-6 shows that 41 percent of inmates had not previously spent time in prison. However for those with previous custodial periods, around 35 percent have had cumulative custodial periods imposed totalling more than two years. Note that this is different to actual time served, which is typically within the range of one-third to two-thirds of the custodial period imposed. See 15.3 Custodial Period Imposed for more on this.

Table 5-6 Total time imposed in previous custodial sentences for sentenced inmates

Total time imposed in previous custodial sentences	Female		Male		Total
Total time imposed in previous custodial sentences	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
< 1 year	44	16.8%	666	13.8%	710	13.9%
1	22	8.4%	449	9.3%	471	9.2%
2	14	5.3%	352	7.3%	366	7.2%
3	3	1.1%	246	5.1%	249	4.9%
4	5	1.9%	233	4.8%	238	4.7%
5	5	1.9%	180	3.7%	185	3.6%
6	2	0.8%	152	3.1%	154	3.0%
7	4	1.5%	114	2.4%	118	2.3%
8	0	0%	70	1.4%	70	1.4%
9	0	0%	70	1.4%	70	1.4%
>10 years/ life/ preventative detention	2	0.8%	354	7.5%	356	7.0%
No previous custody	161	61.5%	1947	40.3%	2134	41.4%
Total	262	100.0%	4833	100.0%	5095	100.0%

Percentages may not add to 100 because of rounding.