NSW prison population booms to highest level in five years
Share this @internewscast.com

The New South Wales prison population is the biggest since the COVID-19 pandemic, and statistics show one “concerning” factor is a major contributor.

New data from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) revealed the adult prison population in the state had risen to 13,103 since March 2025, the highest level since the pandemic began in March 2020.

Prisoner numbers saw a “sharp decline” during the COVID-19 outbreak, which remained stable through to late 2023, when the amount of prisoners again began to increase.

The NSW prison population is at its highest level in five years. (Getty)

Since November 2023, the prison population in NSW has increased by 1055, or 8.8 per cent.

In a release, BOCSAR said a “concerning component” of this increase consisted of unconvicted Indigenous inmates.

In March 2025, there were 4244 Indigenous adults in NSW custody, about 32 per cent of the overall total.

Work needs to be done to limit the number of Indigenous inmates, BOCSAR says. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

But the increase is due to an rise in the number of Indigenous remandees – that is, unconvicted prisoners awaiting a court verdict.

In the five years to March 2025, the number of Indigenous remandees rose by 63 per cent.

Beach photo reveals awful and bizarre fate of woman missing for decades

Domestic violence-related allegations accounted for a large proportion of the increase, with arrests more than doubling in that same time-frame.

“Unlike the overall prison population, which remains below pre-pandemic levels, the number of Aboriginal prisoners now well exceeds 2019 levels and continues to grow,” BOCSAR executive director Jackie Fitzgerald said.

“These figures underscore the urgent need to consider policies, interventions and practice changes to reduce Aboriginal incarceration, as current trends contradict the Closing the Gap commitment to reduce Aboriginal over-representation in the criminal justice system by at least 15 per cent by 2031.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Uncertainty Lingers Over Jeffrey Epstein Records Amid Allegations of ‘Thousands’ of Videos

It was a surprising statement from Attorney General Pam Bondi as the…

Teenagers Accused in Murder of 16-Year-Old Boy ‘In Dispute Over a Girl’

Two South Carolina teens have been arrested in connection with the shooting…

Man Sentenced for Fatal Stabbing of EMS Worker on Duty

Background: Peter Zisopoulos in court for the murder of a New York…

States Accuse Trump Administration of Illegally Reducing Youth Mental Health Funds

President Donald Trump addresses the media alongside Elon Musk in the Oval…

“Avoid Running Straight: Here’s Why”

Inset: President Donald Trump speaking to reporters at Dade-Collier Training and Transition…

Tragic Update: Missing Teen’s Body Discovered in Landfill Months Later

A body found at a Minnesota landfill on Saturday is a 16-year-old…

Another Suspect Charged in Major Victoria Investigation

Michael Simon Wilson, 36, was charged earlier this year with 45 offences…

Father Intimidates His Three Frightened Children and Kills Chihuahua, Police Say

Inset: Chavas Rhodes (North Charleston police). Background: Apartment complex in North Charleston,…

Man Given Lenient Sentence for Deadly Assault and Shooting

Background: The housing projects in Chattanooga, Tenn. where Michael Williams was attacked…

Emily Pike: Tragic Details Emerge After Police Discover Young Indigenous Girl’s Death as a Murder and Dismemberment

The cause of death for Arizona teen Emily Pike has been confirmed,…

Dismissed Scientists File Class-Action Lawsuit Against Trump Administration

President Donald Trump delivers remarks after signing legislation that overturns California’s rule…

Update: Diddy Jury Reaches Partial Verdict; Racketeering Charge Yet to Be Decided

The jury in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal trial said they have reached…