A new report released by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research has shown that Indigenous rates of arrest for violent offences have declined by nearly 37 per cent over the last 15 years, while arrests for property crime has declined by almost 33 per cent in the same period.
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According to the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR), however, the decline in Indigenous arrest rates for violent and property crime has not been accompanied by a decrease in Indigenous imprisonment.
The report states that between 2001 and 2015 the number of Indigenous Australians in New South Wales prisons more than doubled.
On an age-standardised basis, the rate of Indigenous imprisonment rose by 40 per cent.
Commenting on the findings the director of BOCSAR, Dr Don Weatherburn said that the growth in Indigenous imprisonment was due to a combination of tougher sentencing and tougher law enforcement.
Dr Weatherburn reasoned that higher rates of arrest resulting in conviction, a greater likelihood of imprisonment given conviction and a higher rate of bail refusal had led to the increase.
People convicted of violent offences are now much more likely to receive a prison sentence than they were 15 years ago, Dr Weatherburn said.
Law enforcement authorities, on the other hand, appear to be taking a much firmer line in relation to breaches of custodial orders and breaches of Apprehended Violence Orders.
Arrest, imprisonment and bail refusal rates have grown in the category of acts intended to cause injury, which includes the offences of serious assault resulting in injury and stalking/intimidation.
