Crime and Public Safety

Prisoner Numbers Highest Since 2019, Advocate Calls for a Rethink

There were 46,998 adult prisoners in Australia at the end of June.
Prisoner Numbers Highest Since 2019, Advocate Calls for a Rethink
Razor wire lines the walls and fences of Yatala Labour Prison in South Australia. Photo by Ian Waldie/Getty Images
Rex Widerstrom
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Violent crime and the possession of weapons are on the increase, contributing to a rise in the prison population to figures not seen since 2019.

Overwhelmingly, it is people born in Australia committing these crimes (83 percent), new data for the year to June 30, 2025, from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows.

Rex Widerstrom
Rex Widerstrom
Author
Rex Widerstrom is a New Zealand-based reporter with over 40 years of experience in media, including radio and print. He is currently a presenter for Hutt Radio.