Australian correctional services reported a 4% rise in the average daily number of prisoners in the March quarter 2026, with 49,295 individuals in custody compared to 47,379 in the previous quarter. The total of 21,286 unsentenced prisoners grew 9%, while sentenced prisoners numbered 27,543. The overall imprisonment rate was 225 people per 100,000 adult population. Males accounted for 92% of the prison population and 84% were in secure custody. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners represented 37% of those in custody, numbering 18,272. Across the system, 21,022 new prisoner admissions were recorded, and 19,241 releases occurred. Community‑based corrections remained steady at an average of 80,845 individuals serving orders.
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This article is a summary of content originally published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
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