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Factsheets:
FACT SHEET 37 - IMPRISONMENT RATES - INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS

Our first ever Fact Sheet published in April 1998 compared imprisonment rates in New Zealand with those of other countries. With the soaring rates of imprisonment we are currently experiencing in New Zealand, we decided that this would be a good time to revisit that theme.
  • The rate of imprisonment in New Zealand last year was 179 per 100,000 population, second only to America, whose rate was 714 per 100,000 population, in all of the OECD countries.
  • Between 1990 and 2004, there has been a 55% increase in the numbers of people being sent to prison in New Zealand.
  • In mid-July 2005, prison musters reached their highest levels ever recorded in this country with 7140 people being held in prison, both on remand and serving sentences.
  • The table below refers to prison rates per 100,000 population over time in New Zealand and other "like" western democratic societies.
Table 1: Prison Rates per 100,000 total population 1880 - 2003

Year New Zealand Australia England & Wales Norway Sweden Finland
1880 128 220 105 72 96 n/a
1890 84 718 62 45 76 84
1900 71 126 54 49 58 96
1910 84 81 61 45 51 116
1920 84 52 26 39 45 200
1930 97 71 28 64 36 220
1940 55 51 22 54 32 119
1950 56 52 47 51 35 187
1960 76 72 59 44 63 154
1970 83 81 79 44 65 113
1980 88 66 88 44 55 106
1990 117 77 89 56 58 69
2000 146 124 124 57 60 55
2001 148 116 127 61 65 60
2002 154 107 135 62 69 66
2003 155 118 140 62 74 69
2004 179 120 142 65 81 71
Sources: New Zealand: - New Zealand Official Yearbook (various years); Australia: - Source Book of Australian criminal and social statistics 1804-1988, (1989). Yearbook Australia (various years); England & Wales: Judicial Statistics of England and Wales. (various years). HMSO. Annual Abstract of Statistics. (various years), HMSO; Norway: Christie (1968); Falck et al (2003); Sweden: Christie (1968); Falck et al (2003); Statistical Yearbook of Sweden (2005); Finland: Christie (1968); Falck et al (2003); Annual Report of the Finnish Prison and Probation Services, (2002); Finnish Prison Service Website. (http://www.rikosseuraamus.fi/11134.htm). (Acknowledgment: From Inaugural lecture "The Dark Side of paradise. Explaining New Zealand's history of high imprisonment", John Pratt, NZ Institute of Criminology, Victoria University, Wellington, NZ, 2005

Table 2: Major offence of Sentenced Prisoners (female)- comparative percentages

Offence Type 1991 1995 1999 2001 2003
 % % % % %
Violence/Sex 31.3 37.1 40.2 46.4 39.3
Property 44.3 39.7 29.9 27.3 31.7
Drugs 16 12.6 15.2 12.9 17.6
Traffic 7.6 7.3 10.8 9.3 8.4
Miscellaneous 0.8 3.3 3.9 4.1 3.1
Sources: Census of Prison Inmates and Home Detainees, Department of Corrections, 2003
Table 3: Major offence of Sentenced Prisoners (male)- comparative percentages
Offence Type 1991 1995 1999 2001 2003
  % % % % %
Violence/Sex 53.8 62.4 61.9 61.8 59.1
Property 25.4 21.3 21.2 21.6 21.7
Drugs 7.3 5.8 7.5 7.8 8.3
Traffic 10.1 8.9 7.2 5.7 8.2
Miscellaneous 3.5 1.7 2.2 3.0 2.7
Sources: Census of Prison Inmates and Home Detainees, Department of Corrections, 2003
  • As the Tables above show, for male prisoners there have been clear increases in the numbers of offenders being imprisoned for violent and sexual offending and an attendant decrease in those being imprisoned on property offences. For women prisoners, the rates have remained quite static, with only minor increases being noted in sexual and violent offending.
  • Males are reimprisoned at a significantly higher rate than females (29% versus 16%). Reconviction rates for offenders released from prison are also higher for males (43% and 37% respectively).
  • Reimprisonment and reconviction rates for Maori (32% and 47% respectively) are significantly higher than their European (25% and 38% respectively) and Pacific Island (20% and 31% respectively) counterparts. (Source: Department of Corrections Annual Report, 1 July 2003 - 30 June 2004)
  • South Island Regional Prisons Muster increases - with the additional buildings at Christchurch Prison and Christchurch Women's Prison, the total prison muster will increase by 100 prisoners in Christchurch alone - 60 beds at Christchurch Men's Prison and 40 beds at Women's prison. The new prison planned for Milburn in Otago, due to open in 2007 will cater for an additional 335 inmates.
  • The Minister of Justice states that the prison population will increase by another 1000 people in the next few years and that the four new prisons being built will cost $NZ800 million.