Young people in custody

Daily number of young people in custody

This chart shows the average daily number of young people in custody over the past 5 years. 

Statistics overview

The average daily number of young people in custody was: 

• 251 in 2019-2020  
• 201 in 2020-2021
• 187 in 2021-2022
• 195 in 2022-2023
• 212 in 2023-2024.

_{Source: Department of Communities and Justice, Youth Justice Business Analytics. Effective date 6 July 2024.}

Daily number of young people in custody by week

This chart shows the average daily number of young people in custody by legal status by week in 2023-2024.

_{Source: Department of Communities and Justice, Youth Justice Business Analytics. Effective date 6 July 2024.}

Daily number of young people in custody by month

This 12-month chart outlines the average daily number of young people in custody by month. 

Statistics overview

In September 2024, the average daily number of young people in custody was 218.

Note: This is a rolling 12-month chart that is updated monthly. 

_{Source: Department of Communities and Justice, Youth Justice Business Analytics. Effective date 2 November 2024.}

_{1. The average is calculated from the number of young people in custody at 23:59:59 hours for every day of the month.}

_{2. Figures are rounded to the nearest unit.}

Daily number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people

This chart shows the average daily number and percentage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in custody over the past 5 years. 

Statistics overview

The average daily number (and percentage) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in custody was: 

• 112 (44.6%) in 2019-2020  
• 81 (40.3%) in 2020-2021
• 85 (45.7%) in 2021-2022
• 104 (53.3%) in 2022-2023
• 127 (60%) in 2023-2024.

_{Source: Department of Communities and Justice, Youth Justice Business Analytics. Effective date 6 July 2024.}

Daily number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people by month

This 12 month chart shows the average daily number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in custody by month. 

Statistics overview

In September 2024, the average daily number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in custody was 128.

Note: This is a rolling 12-month chart that is updated monthly. 

_{Source: Department of Communities and Justice, Youth Justice Business Analytics. Effective date 2 November 2024.}

_{1. The average is calculated from the number of young people in custody at 23:59:59 hours for every day of the month.}

_{2. Figures are rounded to the nearest whole number.}

Youth Justice Centre admissions

This chart shows the number of admissions to Youth Justice Centres by legal status for the past 5 years. 

Statistics overview

The number of admissions on remand was: 

• 3086 in 2019-2020  
• 3053 in 2020-2021
• 2684 in 2021-2022
• 3130 in 2022-2023
• 3303 in 2023-2024.

The number of admissions on remand, which become control orders during a continuous period of custody, was: 

• 211 in 2019-2020  
• 189 in 2020-2021
• 152 in 2021-2022
• 115 in 2022-2023
• 142 in 2023-2024.

The number of admissions on control orders was: 

• 84 in 2019-2020  
• 39 in 2020-2021
• 12 in 2021-2022
• 29 in 2022-2023
• 18 in 2023-2024.

The total number of admissions to Youth Justice Centres was: 

• 3381 in 2019-2020  
• 3281 in 2020-2021
• 2848 in 2021-2022
• 3274 in 2022-2023
• 3463 in 2023-2024.

_{Source: Department of Communities and Justice, Youth Justice Business Analytics. Effective date 6 July 2024.}

_{1. Remand to Control are admissions on remand which become control orders during a continuous period of custody.}

Remand admissions

This chart shows the number of remand admissions over the past five years.  

‘Remand admissions’ include both admissions on remand and admissions on remand which become control orders during a continuous period of custody, 

Statistics overview

The number of remand admissions was: 

• 3297 in 2019-2020  
• 3242 in 2020-2021
• 2836 in 2021-2022
• 3245 in 2022-2023
• 3445 in 2023-2024.

_{Source: Department of Communities and Justice, Youth Justice Business Analytics. Effective date 6 July 2024.}

_{1. A young person can have more than 1 remand admission per period.}

Length of stay in custody on remand

This chart shows the average, and median, number of days spent on remand over the past 5 years. 

Statistics overview

The average length of stay in custody on remand was: 

• 16.6 days in 2019-2020  
• 12 days in 2020-2021
• 15.6 days in 2021-2022
• 15.8 days in 2022-2023
• 15.7 days in 2023-2024.

The median for every year between 2019-2020 and 2023-2024 was 1 day. 

_{Source: Department of Communities and Justice, Youth Justice RPELive Database. Extracted 6 July 2024. As this is taken from a live database, figures are subject to change.}

_{1. This counts all remand discharges in the counting period and calculates the length of stay in days from admission date. For remand stays that become control stays the sentence date is used as the end date of the remand period.}

Length of stay in custody on control

This chart shows the average and median number of days spent on control orders over the past 5 years. 

Statistics overview

The average length of stay in custody on control was: 

• 109.3 days in 2019-2020, and a median of 66 days 
• 126.8 days in 2020-2021, and a median of 64 days
• 125.0 days in 2021-2022, and a median of 65.5 days
• 119.6 days in 2022-2023, and a median of 76.5 days
• 107.6 days in 2023-2024, and a median of 63 days.

_{Source: Department of Communities and Justice, Youth Justice RPELive Database. Extracted 6 July 2024. As this is taken from a live database, figures are subject to change.}

_{1. This counts all control discharges in the counting period and calculates the length of stay in days from admission date. For remand stays that become control stays the sentence date is used as the start date of the control period.}

This graph shows the number of young people who were admitted on remand and who were, or were not, subsequently admitted on control within 12 months.  

Statistics overview

The proportion of young people admitted on remand who had a subsequent admission on control within 12 months was: 

• 14.1% of those admitted on remand in 2018-2019 
• 12.1% of those admitted on remand in 2019-2020
• 10.5% of those admitted on remand in 2020-2021
• 10.5% of those admitted on remand in 2021-2022
• 8% of those admitted on remand in 2022-2023.

The proportion of young people admitted on remand who did not have a subsequent admission on control within 12 months was: 

• 85.9% of those admitted on remand in 2018-2019 
• 87.9% of those admitted on remand in 2019-2020
• 89.5% of those admitted on remand in 2020-2021
• 89.5% of those admitted on remand in 2021-2022
• 92% of those admitted on remand in 2022-2023.

_{Source: Department of Communities and Justice, Youth Justice Business Analytics. Effective date 6 July 2024.}

_{1. This counts a young person's first remand admission to custody in the counting period and then counts any subsequent control admission within 12 months.}