Prison facts and statistics - September 2010

Print

This page shows statistical information on the:

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

Status

Total
 RemandSentenced 
Male166965208189
ACRP36946415
Auckland1642643
Christchurch Men's181283464
Hawke's Bay103518621
Invercargill50115165
Manawatu63222285
Mt Eden207217424
New Plymouth247498
Northland148269417
Otago67358425
Rimutaka1488721020
Rolleston0317317
Spring Hill0830830
Tongariro/Rangipo0460460
Waikeria266710976
Wanganui42468510
Wellington0119119
Female111447558
Arohata22121143
Auckland Women's69235304
Christchurch Women's2091111
Total178069678747

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 September 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 September 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 September 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 September 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.

International rates of imprisonment

Number of prisoners per 100,000 population

United States748
South Africa324
New Zealand199
Scotland153
England and Wales152
Australia134
Canada117
Norway71
Figures reflect the prison and national populations from mid 2009 or mid 2010.

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 $90,936 or $249.14 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