Prisoner Support and Treatment

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT (14:50): I have a supplementary question. I think I have this correct, that the minister mentioned that there are currently 3,000 South Australians in Corrections. Is he able to give a bit of a cross-section as to what the most common offences would be as to why those people are in Corrections at the moment?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (14:50): It will not surprise honourable members that the nature of the make-up of prisoners varies depending on the type of offence that an individual has committed. I can give some broad statistics while I am on my feet now. The daily average currently in Corrections is approximately 2,644 prisoners, although I am advised that number does fluctuate from time to time. There are currently, as at 11 April this year, I am advised, 2,817 approved beds in the system.

One of the statistics that many members would find particularly interesting is that our prison population currently, as at 19 May, I am advised, is 40.72 per cent—so 40 per cent of our prison population is on remand. There is an increasing number of people who are remanded within our prison system and there is a range of contributing factors to that, and some good reasons why that should be the case; nevertheless, it is worthy of examination.

In terms of the demographics of our prison population I can advise the chamber that I am advised that males make up 94 per cent of the prison population, females make up 5.8 per cent of the prison population, and that 22.2 per cent of the prison population are people who are identified as being Aboriginal. Again, these are astonishing statistics. We have talked already on previous occasions around the over-representation of the Aboriginal population within the South Australian correctional system which, again, reflects what is occurring already in other parts of the country, and efforts that have been put in place to deal with that.

I am more than happy to come back. I will take the question on notice in terms of the break-up. I have seen documents and I have been advised in the past of the percentage of the prison population in terms of the nature of offences. It can be broken up into assaults, offences against a person, property offences, sexual assaults and the like. I have some broad numbers floating around in my head, but for the sake of accuracy I prefer to take that number on notice and I am more than happy to provide that information to the honourable member.