A WA parliamentary question regarding prison overcrowding, seeking data on the prison population and specific demographics of inmates entering prison between November 2008 and the present. The Minister deferred answering due to the complexity and volume of data requested.

AnsweredQoN 922Legislative Council
Asked
22 September 2009
Portfolio
Corrective Services

QuestionView source ↗

PRISON MUSTER
I refer to the unprecedented increase in prison overcrowding under this government. (1) What is the current adult prison population? (2) What number, expressed as both a raw figure and a percentage, of adult offenders who entered 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 failure to pay outstanding fines; (d) are serving a time of imprisonment solely for their 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? Hon MICHAEL MISCHIN

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Corrective Services advises that due to the amount and complexity of statistical data requested, an answer is not possible within the period of short notice given for this question. The minister therefore requests that the question be put on notice.
(1) What is the current adult prison population? (2) What number, expressed as both a raw figure and a percentage, of adult offenders who entered 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 failure to pay outstanding fines; (d) are serving a time of imprisonment solely for their 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? Hon MICHAEL MISCHIN replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Corrective Services advises that due to the amount and complexity of statistical data requested, an answer is not possible within the period of short notice given for this question. The minister therefore requests that the question be put on notice.
(2) What number, expressed as both a raw figure and a percentage, of adult offenders who entered 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 failure to pay outstanding fines; (d) are serving a time of imprisonment solely for their 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? Hon MICHAEL MISCHIN replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Corrective Services advises that due to the amount and complexity of statistical data requested, an answer is not possible within the period of short notice given for this question. The minister therefore requests that the question be put on notice.
(b) are intellectually disabled; (c) have, as a component of their sentence of imprisonment, a sentence of prison time for failure to pay outstanding fines; (d) are serving a time of imprisonment solely for their 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?
(c) have, as a component of their sentence of imprisonment, a sentence of prison time for failure to pay outstanding fines; (d) are serving a time of imprisonment solely for their 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?
(d) are serving a time of imprisonment solely for their 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?
(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?
(f) were sentenced for a crime subject to a maximum penalty of two years, or less?
I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Corrective Services advises that due to the amount and complexity of statistical data requested, an answer is not possible within the period of short notice given for this question. The minister therefore requests that the question be put on notice.

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