NEW figures released on Tuesday by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research show over the last 12 months, the number of young people in custody in NSW rose by 54, a 32 per cent increase since December, 2023.

Executive director of the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, Jackie Fitzgerald, said the increase in young people in custody since December, 2023 is mainly due to an increased number of young people on remand.

“There’s been a 34.4 per cent increase in the youth remand population since 2023, with an increasing number of young people on remand for break and enter and assault offences,” she said.

The main factor driving the increase in remand is a rise in the bail refusal rate.

Over the past two years there has been a rise in the bail refusal rate for young people, from 13.7 per cent in 2023 to 15.2 per cent in 2024.

This increase in the severity of bail decisions is apparent across a range of offences.

“The number of young Aboriginal people in detention has also increased since December, 2023, up 21.7 per cent, and this increase has also been wholly driven by rise in the number of Aboriginal young people on remand, which is up 22.6 per cent,” Ms Fitzgerald said.

“Two-thirds – or 68.2 per cent – of Aboriginal young people in custody are from Regional NSW.”

Youth detention population

In December 2024, the youth detention population was 225 (210 boys and 15 girls).

Over the 12 months from December, 2023 to December, 2024 the number of young people in custody rose by 54, or up 31.6 per cent, from 171 in December, 2023 , the figure making up 162 boys and 9 girls.

The increase since December, 2023 is mainly due to an increase in young people on remand.

In December, 2024 there were 172 young people on remand, up 44 or 34.4 per cent from 128 in December, 2023.

In December, 2024, there were 53 young people in sentenced custody, up 10 or 23.3 per cent since December 2023.

The main offences driving the increase in the youth remand population are break-and-enter.

Aboriginal youth detention population

In December, 2024, there were 129 Aboriginal young people in detention, which was 57.3 per cent of the youth detention population.

Like the overall youth detention population, the number of Aboriginal young people in detention has increased since December, 2023, up 23 young people or 21.7 per cent from 106 in December, 2023 .

The recent increase has been driven by a rise in the number of Aboriginal young people on remand, up 19 or 22.6 per cent.

In contrast, the number of Aboriginal young people in sentenced custody has remained relatively stable since December, 2023.

The main offences driving the increase in the Aboriginal youth remand population are break-and-enter – an increase of 20 young people to 30 in December, 2024 – and assault, an increase of five young people to eight in December, 2024.

Adult prison population

In December, 2024, the adult custody population was 12,736 – 11,871 men and 865 women.

While the adult prison population remains 899 people fewer than prior to the pandemic in December, 2019, over the 12 months to December, 2024, the number of adults in prison rose considerably, up 645 inmates or a 5.3 per cent increase from December, 2023.