Community corrections agencies are responsible for a range of non-custodial sanctions and deliver post-custodial interventions for released prisoners (Productivity Commission 2008). The nature and extent of supervision involved, whether orders involve work or other conditions and the degree to which an offender's movement within the community is restricted, vary between types of orders and jurisdictions. The figure below shows the rates of Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders serving community corrections orders. Rates have remained reasonably stable, although Indigenous offenders have been significantly overrepresented throughout the period. The decrease in 2001-02 may be due largely to a reduction in the number of offenders serving fine option orders in Queensland (Productivity Commission 2003: 41). The national community corrections rate for Indigenous offenders in 2006-07 was 3,179.6 per 100,000 Indigenous adults compared with 265.9 for non-Indigenous offenders.
Indigenous and non-Indigenous community corrections rates per 100,000 adults, Australia, 1998–99 to 2006–07 [see attached PDF for graph]
References
Productivity Commission 2003. Report on government services: Indigenous compendium. Melbourne: Productivity Commission.
Productivity Commission 2008. Report on government services: Indigenous compendium. Melbourne: Productivity Commission.