LATEST figures released by the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research show that the NSW prison population remained steady in the three months to September, after falling sharply between March and May.
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In September there were 12,701 adults in custody. This is a 6.1 per cent reduction or 821 fewer inmates than a year ago.
As previously reported, justice responses to COVID-19 led to a large drop in the prison population in the second quarter of 2020. This was due to a:
- jump in people released from remand to wait for their court case in the community
- reduction in the rate at which people charged were remanded
- reduction in people sentenced to prison as court appearances were deferred.
In the third quarter of 2020 the prison population has remained steady at post-pandemic levels.
The youth detention population has shown even larger recent reductions and is currently at historic lows. In September there were 190 young people in custody, a 19 per cent drop, or 45 fewer young people, than in September 2019.
