The number of sentenced prisoners fell by 7 per cent to 25,624, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Prisoners on remand decreased by 2 per cent to 14,864. Overall, 40,591 prisoners were in custody on 30 June 2022, a 6 per cent drop from 2021.
William Milne, ABS head of crime and justice statistics, said: "This is lowest count of prisoners since 2017. COVID-19 related restrictions, which began in March 2020, may still be impacting criminal activity and the justice system."
"Prisoner numbers dropped for nearly all offence types, including illicit drug offences (-13 per cent), burglary (-11 per cent), and robbery (-12 per cent). In contrast, prisoners in custody for sexual assault offences increased by 4 per cent over the year."
