New Zealand Law Society - High rate of imprisonment for Māori adults

High rate of imprisonment for Māori adults

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Statistics for adults convicted by sentence type show that Māori adults comprised 46% of adults convicted of an offence in 2018 where ethnicity was known, but made up 58% of adults who were sentenced to imprisonment. The data shows the most serious offence.

The information has been taken from Statistics New Zealand's release of criminal conviction and sentencing statistics for the 2018 calendar year from data provided by the Ministry of Justice. The information covers both the District Court and High Court.

As well as the national picture, there are noticeable regional differences in sentences imposed where ethnicity is considered. While Māori adults made up one-third of people convicted of an offence in the Wellington Justice Service Area in 2018, they made up just over half of those sentenced to imprisonment on conviction. In the Waiariki Justice Service Area, over 80% of those sentenced to imprisonment on conviction were Māori adults, although they comprised 69% of those convicted.

Adults convicted by sentence type in 2018 (most serious offence)

Sentence European Māori Pacific Other Unknown Total
Imprisonment 2,170 4,217 614 223 143 7.367
Community 9,857 12,026 2,528 926 910 26,247
Monetary 7,549 5,953 1,677 1,103 3,997 20,279
Other 1,306 1,594 368 158 223 3,649
None recorded 1,004 1,432 315 117 305 3,173
Total 21,886 25,222 5,502 2,527 5,578 60,715

Proportion of sentences imposed in 2018 (most serious offence)

Sentence European Māori Pacific Other Unknown Total
Convicted 36.0% 41.5% 9.1% 4.2% 9.2% 100%
Imprisonment 29.5% 57.2% 8.3% 3.0% 1.9% 100%
Community 37.6% 45.8% 9.6% 3.5% 3.5% 100%
Monetary 37.2% 29.4% 8.3% 5.4% 19.7% 100%
Other 35.8% 43.7% 10.1% 4.3% 6.1% 100%
None recorded 31.6% 45.1% 9.9% 3.7% 9.6% 100%

Sentence imposed on conviction in 2018 (most serious offence)

Sentence European Māori Pacific Other Unknown
Imprisonment 9.9% 16.7% 11.2% 8.8% 2.6%
Community 45.0% 47.7% 45.9% 36.6% 16.3%
Monetary 34.5% 23.6% 30.5% 43.6% 71.7%
Other 6.0% 6.3% 6.7% 6.3% 4.0%
None recorded 4.6% 5.7% 5.7% 4.6% 5.5%
Total 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

Information by Justice Service Area

Details of prosecution outcomes by ethnicity are not available for individual courts, but sentences can be analysed by Justice Service Area. This covers clusters of courts. For example, the Taitokerau Justice Service Area includes the Kaitaia, Kaikohe, Whangārei and Dargaville District Courts and the Whangārei High Court.

There are obviously population differences and other factors when a regional approach is taken, but there are noticeable variances from the national total.

Proportion of adults convicted in 2018 by ethnicity in Justice Service Area (most serious offence)

Service Area European Māori Pacific Other Unknown Total
Taitokerau 24.5% 63.4% 3.0% 0.7% 8.3% 100%
North Auckland 35.6% 25.9% 16.1% 9.6% 12.9% 100%
South Auckland 15.8% 38.2% 27.7% 7.6% 10.7% 100%
Waikato 32.5% 53.0% 3.6% 2.6% 8.4% 100%
Bay of Plenty 33.9% 54.4% 2.4% 2.6% 6.8% 100%
Waiariki 21.2% 69.2% 3.8% 1.1% 4.8% 100%
East Coast 24.3% 65.0% 3.7% 1.2% 5.9% 100%
Taranaki/Whanganui 43.0% 46.8% 2.1% 1.1% 7.1% 100%
Manawatu/Wairarapa 44.1% 44.8% 3.3% 1.7% 6.1% 100%
Northern Wellington 36.1% 42.0% 11.9% 3.4% 6.5% 100%
Wellington 40.1% 33.4% 9.6% 8.0% 8.9% 100%
Nelson/Marlborough 57.7% 27.3% 2.7% 1.5% 11.0% 100%
Canterbury 56.6% 24.8% 4.4% 3.3% 10.9% 100%
Otago 63.9% 21.6% 3.5% 1.7% 9.3% 100%
Southland 57.4% 24.1% 2.3% 3.5% 12.7% 100%
NEW ZEALAND TOTAL 36.0% 41.5% 9.1% 4.2% 9.2% 100%

Proportion of adults sentenced to imprisonment on conviction in 2018 (most serious offence)

Service Area European Māori Pacific Other Unknown Total
Taitokerau 21.3% 72.1% 3.8% 0.2% 2.6% 100%
North Auckland 30.2% 40.3% 17.5% 9.5% 2.5% 100%
South Auckland 10.0% 54.4% 27.1% 5.5% 3.0% 100%
Waikato 27.3% 67.1% 3.4% 1.4% 0.8% 100%
Bay of Plenty 24.3% 68.7% 2.6% 3.0% 1.4% 100%
Waiariki 14.9% 80.0% 3.7% 0.3% 1.0% 100%
East Coast 16.8% 76.3% 4.5% 0.7% 1.6% 100%
Taranaki/Whanganui 35.1% 61.4% 1.6% 0.6% 1.3% 100%
Manawatu/Wairarapa 35.7% 59.0% 3.2% 1.3% 0.8% 100%
Northern Wellington 29.0% 56.3% 9.8% 2.7% 2.2% 100%
Wellington 36.4% 50.6% 7.4% 4.8% 0.9% 100%
Nelson/Marlborough 49.4% 40.7% 4.9% 1.2% 3.7% 100%
Canterbury 54.3% 37.0% 3.9% 1.3% 3.4% 100%
Otago 53.3% 40.3% 3.2% 1.3% 1.9% 100%
Southland 58.6% 37.6% 2.8% 0.6% 0.6% 100%
NEW ZEALAND TOTAL 29.5% 57.2% 8.3% 3.0% 1.9% 100%

Proportion of adults given community-based sentence on conviction in 2018 (most serious offence)

Service Area European Māori Pacific Other Unknown Total
Taitokerau 23.1% 69.7% 3.6% 0.6% 2.9% 100%
North Auckland 39.5% 29.4% 18.3% 8.5% 4.4% 100%
South Auckland 16.5% 42.6% 29.4% 7.5% 4.0% 100%
Waikato 34.0% 54.8% 4.1% 2.7% 4.4% 100%
Bay of Plenty 33.5% 60.2% 2.7% 1.6% 1.9% 100%
Waiariki 21.5% 71.8% 3.9% 0.6% 2.2% 100%
East Coast 23.2% 69.0% 3.6% 1.1% 3.2% 100%
Taranaki/Whanganui 43.4% 51.4% 2.4% 0.4% 2.4% 100%
Manawatu/Wairarapa 43.8% 49.0% 3.5% 1.3% 2.4% 100%
Northern Wellington 35.4% 47.2% 11.7% 2.7% 3.0% 100%
Wellington 42.4% 34.6% 10.8% 7.5% 4.7% 100%
Nelson/Marlborough 61.1% 32.0% 3.0% 0.7% 3.2% 100%
Canterbury 60.2% 27.5% 4.7% 2.8% 4.8% 100%
Otago 69.6% 22.5% 3.6% 1.5% 2.8% 100%
Southland 62.9% 29.2% 2.9% 2.0% 2.9% 100%
NEW ZEALAND TOTAL 37.5% 45.8% 9.6% 3.5% 3.5% 100%

Proportion of adults given monetary penalty sentence on conviction in 2018 (most serious offence)

Service Area European Māori Pacific Other Unknown Total
Taitokerau 28.2% 50.3% 1.7% 1.1% 18.6% 100%
North Auckland 33.6% 15.8% 13.2% 11.2% 26.2% 100%
South Auckland 16.6% 26.6% 26.2% 8.2% 22.3% 100%
Waikato 34.9% 41.9% 2.9% 3.4% 16.9% 100%
Bay of Plenty 38.4% 41.4% 1.8% 4.0% 14.4% 100%
Waiariki 25.4% 56.3% 3.8% 2.5% 11.9% 100%
East Coast 29.9% 51.5% 3.8% 1.5% 13.2% 100%
Taranaki/Whanganui 44.0% 35.1% 2.1% 2.1% 16.8% 100%
Manawatu/Wairarapa 45.0% 35.0% 3.1% 2.8% 14.1% 100%
Northern Wellington 41.8% 28.4% 11.8% 3.6% 14.3% 100%
Wellington 43.7% 18.9% 8.4% 10.0% 18.9% 100%
Nelson/Marlborough 54.7% 19.9% 1.8% 2.3% 21.3% 100%
Canterbury 53.7% 16.2% 4.1% 4.6% 21.3% 100%
Otago 58.3% 13.5% 3.9% 2.3% 22.1% 100%
Southland 52.7% 15.9% 1.8% 5.6% 24.0% 100%
New Zealand 37.2% 29.4% 8.3% 5.4% 19.7% 100%
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