Prison facts and statistics - March 2010

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This page shows statistical information on the:

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

Status

 Total
  Remand Sentenced  
Male 1708 6264 7972
ACRP 388 15 403
Auckland 0 643 643
Christchurch Men's 184 676 860
Hawkes Bay 94 526 620
Invercargill 48 103 151
Manawatu 78 202 280
Mt Eden 199 208 407
New Plymouth 28 76 104
Northland 121 237 358
Otago 77 269 346
Rimutaka 128 795 923
Rolleston 0 318 318
Spring Hill 0 565 565
Tongariro/Rangipo 0 432 432
Waikeria 318 632 950
Wanganui 45 447 492
Wellington 0 120 120
Female 111 386 497
Arohata 24 117 141
Auckland Women's 72 172 244
Christchurch Women's 15 97 112
Total 1819 6650 8469

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 States 756
Chile 305
Singapore 267
Poland 221
Malaysia 192
New Zealand 185
Czech Republic 182
Spain 160
England and Wales 153
Hungary 149
Australia 129
Canada 116
Denmark 63

 

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