Prison (sentence, remand and post-prison), community-sentence and completed community work offender population statistics

Prison (sentence, remand and post-prison), community-sentence and completed community work offender population tables for fiscal and calendar years are available in NZ.Stat – our free web tool for creating, finding, customising, and downloading datasets. These tables include data on:

• Annual community sentence offender population
• Annual completed community work offender population
• Annual post-prison offender population
• Annual remand prisoner throughput
• Annual sentenced prison throughput

About the data

This section gives the source of the data in the annual prison (sentence, remand and post-prison), community-sentence and successfully completed community work offender population tables for fiscal and calendar years (based on offence types in the Australian and New Zealand Standard Offence Classification (ANZSOC), and explains what statistics are included or excluded. It also provides important information about data quality, the effect of appeals, and describes situations where published data may be revised.

Quality of data

Statistics in this release have been produced in accordance with the Official Statistics System principles and protocols for producers of Tier 1 statistics. They conform to the Stats NZ Methodological Standard for Reporting of Data Quality.

Data in the tables are simplified and categorised for high-level analysis. Like all operational data, they could contain anomalies that would not affect its day-to-day use but could cause errors for statistical analysis.

For example, incorrect coding of some data items may not affect how an offender’s sentence is managed. However, coding errors can affect how the data is categorised and counted when reporting statistical summaries.

The chance of such anomalies occurring is minimal. Rigorous processes are in place to verify and ensure that operational data is accurate and suitable for statistical analysis.

Revision of published data

The data in these tables is the same information used in tables published by the Department of Corrections. See Department of Corrections Corrections Volumes report.

Changes in legislation, improved analysis methods, or corrections to earlier data may mean that the statistics are slightly different to those published in previous years. Each year’s release recalculates figures from previous years and may not be comparable with previous releases.

Random-rounding method used

The standard version of Stats NZ's method of base 3 random rounding is applied to protect the confidentiality of individuals. Values rounded to 0 are reported as '..'.

Identifying details are also removed, and data are aggregated.

Due to rounding, individual figures may not always sum to the stated total(s).

Annual Community Sentence Offender Population for the latest Fiscal or Calendar Years

Source

The community sentence offender tables contain data from the Department of Corrections' data warehouse. All data has been sourced from the Department of Corrections' Integrated Offender Management System.

Identifying details are removed, and data are aggregated to ensure information is anonymous.

Inclusions and exclusions

The community sentence offender tables contain information on offenders who were sentenced to a community sentence. If more than one type of the same sentence type starts on the same day, they are aggregated and counted once only. If more than one type of sentence starts on the same day, they are all counted.

Effect of appeals

A community sentence that is subsequently cancelled on appeal is excluded in these statistics, as the offender typically does not begin to serve the sentence till the appeal decision is handed down.

Annual Completed Community Work Offender Population for the latest Fiscal or Calendar Years

Source

The completed community work offender tables contain data from the Department of Corrections' data warehouse. All data has been sourced from the Department of Corrections' Integrated Offender Management System.

Identifying details are removed, and data are aggregated to ensure information is anonymous.

Inclusions and exclusions

The completed community work offender tables contain information on offenders who successfully completed their aggregate Community Work sentence. All completed aggregate sentences are counted. Each aggregate sentence could be an amalgamation of multiple convictions given a sentence of Community Work, even if it is the second, third, or subsequent sentence of a single charge.

Effect of appeals

A community work sentence that is subsequently cancelled on appeal is excluded in these statistics, as the offender typically does not begin to serve the sentence till the appeal decision is handed down.

Annual Post-prison Offender Population for the latest Fiscal or Calendar Years

Source

The post-prison offender tables contain data from the Department of Corrections' data warehouse. All data has been sourced from the Department of Corrections' Integrated Offender Management System.

Identifying details are removed, and data are aggregated to ensure information is anonymous.

Inclusions and exclusions

The post-prison offender tables contain information on offenders who are under the supervision of the Department of Corrections, after a period in prison. Such offenders have typically served less than 100 percent of the imposed sentence. Offenders who have completed a Home Detention (community) sentence can also be subject to a period of supervision and are therefore counted.

Note: The order type 'Returning offender order' cannot be broken down by offence type, as this information is recorded overseas.

Annual Remand Prisoner Population for the latest Fiscal or Calendar Years (ANZSOC)

Source

The custodial remand tables contain data from the Department of Corrections' statistical reporting datasets. All data has been sourced from the Department of Corrections' Integrated Offender Management System (IOMS).

Identifying details are removed, and data are aggregated to ensure information is anonymous.

Inclusions and exclusions

The custodial remand tables contain information on offenders who were held in prison as a result of being remanded in custody.

Annual Sentenced Prisoner Population for the latest Fiscal or Calendar Years (ANZSOC)

Source

The prison sentence tables contain data from the Department of Corrections' statistical reporting datasets. All data has been sourced from the Department of Corrections' Integrated Offender Management System (IOMS).

Identifying details are removed, and data are aggregated to ensure information is anonymous.

Inclusions and exclusions

The prison sentence tables contain information on offenders who were held in prison as a result of receiving a custodial sentence.

Effect of appeals

A prison sentence that is subsequently cancelled on appeal is still included in these statistics, as the offender had spent time in prison.