Rehabilitative needs and treatment of Indigenous offenders in ...

Table 4.1: Age of Offenders by Gender and Indigenous Status at 30 June 2009MaleFemaleAgegroup IndigenousTotal Indigenous%NonIndigenous %%NonIndigenous %17 12 0.8 24 0.6 36 1 0.9 0 0.0 118 - 24 424 29.0 720 19.0 1144 28 24.2 41 13.7 6925 - 34 524 35.9 1264 33.4 1788 55 47.4 115 38.3 17035 - 44 341 23.4 976 25.7 1317 26 22.4 86 28.7 11245 - 54 128 8.8 495 13.1 623 4 3.5 40 13.3 4455+ 31 2.1 312 8.2 343 2 1.7 18 6.0 20Total 1460 3791 5251 116 300 416Source: QCS, IOMSMost Serious OffenceThe majority of offenders in custody are incarcerated for relatively seriousoffences. Nearly 70 per cent of offenders in custody at 30 June 2009 had amost serious offence of homicide and related offences (11%), acts intended tocause injury (21%), sexual assault and related offences (16%), unlawful entrywith intent/burglary (13%) or illicit drug offences (9%) (see Table 4.2).The most serious offence profile of male Indigenous offenders is different tothat of male non-Indigenous offenders. Within the different most seriousoffence categories, male Indigenous offenders are over-represented in theacts intended to cause injury, abduction, public order, road traffic and motorvehicle regulatory and offences against justice procedures categories, whilemale non-Indigenous offenders are over-represented in the homicide, sexualassault, robbery and extortion, illicit drug, weapons, and explosive propertydamage offence categories. Male Indigenous offenders are only slightly overrepresentedin the sexual assault category.Similar to male Indigenous offenders, female Indigenous offenders are overrepresentedin acts intended to cause injury and public order offences. Theyare also over-represented in the dangerous and negligent acts, weapons andproperty damage categories. The most serious offence profile of femaleIndigenous offenders is different to the most serious offence profile of femalenon-Indigenous offenders. Female non-Indigenous offenders are overrepresentedin the homicide, dangerous and negligent acts, theft, deceptionand illicit drug most serious offence categories.Male Indigenous offenders are especially over-represented in offencesrelating to a breach of justice procedure. Male Indigenous offenders accountfor approximately 26 per cent of the prisoner population, but 49 per cent ofoffenders with a breach of justice procedure as their most serious offence.Interestingly, female Indigenous offenders are not over-represented forbreaches of justice procedure. However, readers are reminded thatinformation discussed here relates to an offender’s most serious offence only.A greater proportion of offenders will have an offence relating to breach ofjustice procedures than recognised in Table 4.2 (4%).Total27