❓ WA Parliamentary Question on Notice regarding prison overcrowding, focusing on the characteristics of incoming prisoners, including mental health, intellectual disability, fine defaults, homelessness, and sentence lengths. The answer provides statistics on these factors for prisoners entering between November 2008 and September 2009.
AnsweredQoN 1222Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the unprecedented increase in prison overcrowding under your government, and I ask -
(1) What is the current adult prison population?
(2) What number (expressed both as a raw figure and percentage) of adult offenders entering prison between 1 November 2008 and the present time, -
(a) have a diagnosed mental illness;
(b) are intellectually disabled;
(c) have, as a component of their sentence of imprisonment, a sentence of prison time for the failure to pay outstanding fines;
(d) are serving a term of imprisonment solely for the failure to pay outstanding fines;
(e) were recorded as having no fixed abode at the time of their sentencing; and
(f) were sentenced for a crime subject to a maximum penalty of two years or less?
(1) What is the current adult prison population?
(2) What number (expressed both as a raw figure and percentage) of adult offenders entering prison between 1 November 2008 and the present time, -
(a) have a diagnosed mental illness;
(b) are intellectually disabled;
(c) have, as a component of their sentence of imprisonment, a sentence of prison time for the failure to pay outstanding fines;
(d) are serving a term of imprisonment solely for the failure to pay outstanding fines;
(e) were recorded as having no fixed abode at the time of their sentencing; and
(f) were sentenced for a crime subject to a maximum penalty of two years or less?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
10 November 2009
Responded by
Parliamentary Secretary representing the Minister for Corrective Services
Response time
48 days
(1) Adult prison population at 24:00 on 30th Sep 2009 is 4695.
(2) 4144 distinct adult persons became sentenced prisoners during the period 1 November 2008 to 30 September 2009. This includes prisoners with new sentences as well as those received on account of cancellation/suspension of early release orders only and fine default only.
(a) Of the distinct adult persons who became sentenced prisoners during the period 1 November 2008 to 30 September 2009, 601 had the Psychiatric flag set on their medical status record between reception date and 30 September 2009. This is 14.5% of total persons (4144).
(b) Of the distinct adult persons who became sentenced prisoners during the period 1 November 2008 to 30 September 2009, 78 had the Intellectual Disability flag set on their medical status record between reception date and 30 September 2009. This is 1.9% of total persons (4144).
(c) Of the distinct adult persons who became sentenced prisoners during the period 1 November 2008 to 30 September 2009, 2873 had a fine default sentence attached to their term, possibly along with other non-fine-default sentences. We have made no distinction between fine default sentences that are concurrent and those that are cumulative. This is 69.3% of total persons (4144).
(d) Of the distinct adult persons who became sentenced prisoners during the period 1 November 2008 to 30 September 2009, 1423 had at least one sentenced period of imprisonment that was for fine default ONLY. (Note that Remand Warrants may have been current at the same time; also, they may have served a term of imprisonment at a different time during the period 1 November 2008 to 30 September 2009 which had a non-fine-default sentence attached to it.) This is 34.3% of total persons (4144).
(e) Of the distinct adult persons who became sentenced prisoners during the period 1 November 2008 to 30 September 2009, 20 had address records that indicate that they had no fixed abode. This is 0.5% of total persons (4144).
(f) Of the distinct adult persons who became sentenced prisoners during the period 1 November 2008 to 30 September 2009, 2690 have individual sentences attached to their term with maximum sentence length of 2 years or less. (347 of those have other individual sentences attached to the same term that have more than 2 years maximum sentence length.) This is 64.9% of total persons (4144). Please note that aggregate sentences may still exceed 2 years. Cases where individuals are in custody for cancellation/suspension of early release orders ONLY and Fine Default ONLY cases are excluded.
Of the distinct adult persons who became sentenced prisoners during the period 1 November 2008 to 30 September 2009, 2346 have individual sentences attached to their term with maximum sentence length of 2 years or less, with no other individual sentence having more than 2 years maximum sentence length attached to the same term. This is 56.6% of total persons (4144).
Please note that aggregate sentences may still exceed 2 years. Cases where individuals are in custody for cancellation/suspension of early release orders ONLY and Fine Default ONLY cases are excluded.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
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(2) 4144 distinct adult persons became sentenced prisoners during the period 1 November 2008 to 30 September 2009. This includes prisoners with new sentences as well as those received on account of cancellation/suspension of early release orders only and fine default only.
(a) Of the distinct adult persons who became sentenced prisoners during the period 1 November 2008 to 30 September 2009, 601 had the Psychiatric flag set on their medical status record between reception date and 30 September 2009. This is 14.5% of total persons (4144).
(b) Of the distinct adult persons who became sentenced prisoners during the period 1 November 2008 to 30 September 2009, 78 had the Intellectual Disability flag set on their medical status record between reception date and 30 September 2009. This is 1.9% of total persons (4144).
(c) Of the distinct adult persons who became sentenced prisoners during the period 1 November 2008 to 30 September 2009, 2873 had a fine default sentence attached to their term, possibly along with other non-fine-default sentences. We have made no distinction between fine default sentences that are concurrent and those that are cumulative. This is 69.3% of total persons (4144).
(d) Of the distinct adult persons who became sentenced prisoners during the period 1 November 2008 to 30 September 2009, 1423 had at least one sentenced period of imprisonment that was for fine default ONLY. (Note that Remand Warrants may have been current at the same time; also, they may have served a term of imprisonment at a different time during the period 1 November 2008 to 30 September 2009 which had a non-fine-default sentence attached to it.) This is 34.3% of total persons (4144).
(e) Of the distinct adult persons who became sentenced prisoners during the period 1 November 2008 to 30 September 2009, 20 had address records that indicate that they had no fixed abode. This is 0.5% of total persons (4144).
(f) Of the distinct adult persons who became sentenced prisoners during the period 1 November 2008 to 30 September 2009, 2690 have individual sentences attached to their term with maximum sentence length of 2 years or less. (347 of those have other individual sentences attached to the same term that have more than 2 years maximum sentence length.) This is 64.9% of total persons (4144). Please note that aggregate sentences may still exceed 2 years. Cases where individuals are in custody for cancellation/suspension of early release orders ONLY and Fine Default ONLY cases are excluded.
Of the distinct adult persons who became sentenced prisoners during the period 1 November 2008 to 30 September 2009, 2346 have individual sentences attached to their term with maximum sentence length of 2 years or less, with no other individual sentence having more than 2 years maximum sentence length attached to the same term. This is 56.6% of total persons (4144).
Please note that aggregate sentences may still exceed 2 years. Cases where individuals are in custody for cancellation/suspension of early release orders ONLY and Fine Default ONLY cases are excluded.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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