Rehabilitative needs and treatment of Indigenous offenders in ...

Figure 4.2: Proportion of Total Male Prisoner Population and Total FemalePrisoner Population that is Indigenous (Jan 2000 to December 2009)3530Percentage Indigenous2520151050Jan-00Apr-00Jul-00Oct-00Jan-01Apr-01Jul-01Oct-01Jan-02Apr-02Jul-02Oct-02Jan-03Apr-03Jul-03Oct-03Jan-04Apr-04Jul-04Oct-04Jan-05Apr-05Indigenous Representation in Total Male Prisoner PopulationSource: IOMS, QCS (‘As at’ last day of month)Age Groups of OffendersJul-05Oct-05Jan-06Apr-06Jul-06Oct-06Jan-07Apr-07Jul-07Oct-07Jan-08Apr-08Jul-08Oct-08Jan-09Apr-09Jul-09Oct-09Indigenous Representation in Total Female Prisoner PopulationTable 4.1 shows the number of male Indigenous and female offenders incustody at June 2009 by age group. Indigenous offenders in custody tend tobe younger than non-Indigenous offenders. Nearly one in three maleIndigenous offenders are under 25 years of age (30%) compared with 20 percent male non-Indigenous offenders. One in four female Indigenous offendersis younger than 25 years compared to 14 per cent of female non-Indigenousoffenders.Of male Indigenous offenders, 40 per cent are aged between 25-34 yearscompared with 33 per cent of male non-Indigenous offenders. Among femaleIndigenous offenders, almost half (48%) are aged between 25-34 years,compared with 38 per cent of female non-Indigenous offenders.Conversely, non-Indigenous offenders are older than Indigenous offenders.Male non-Indigenous and female offenders aged between 45-54 yearscomprise over 13 per cent in their respective groups. In contrast, Indigenousmale offenders in this age group comprise nine per cent and only four percent of female Indigenous offenders are in this age group.Indigenous offenders aged over 55 years account for approximately two percent amongst Indigenous males and females, compared with 8 per cent ofmale non-Indigenous offenders and 6 per cent of female non-Indigenousoffenders.26