Information obtained from Statistics New Zealand's Criminal Conviction and Sentencing Tables shows some notable variations in adults who were convicted and discharged during 2015. Māori were also far more likely to receive a sentence of imprisonment than other recorded ethnicities.
In the year to 31 December 2015, 4,123 convictions and discharges were recorded among 63,746 sentences imposed on adults for the most serious offence. This was 6.5% of the total sentences.
However, while Pacific Peoples comprised 9.7% of total sentences, they accounted for 14.3% of conviction and discharges. Similarly, women made up 22.0% of total sentences but 26.7% of conviction and discharges, and "unknown/corporation" 0.6% of total sentences and 1.4% of conviction and discharge.
Although conviction and discharge accounted for 6.5% of total sentences, it comprised 9.6% of sentences imposed on Pacific Peoples, 7.8% on women and 15.6% on unknown/corporations.
A far higher proportion of Māori were sentenced to imprisonment, with Māori accounting for 55.5% of sentences of imprisonment but 40.3% of all sentences. Europeans comprised 37.5% of all sentences imposed, but 30.6% of sentences of imprisonment.
On an age basis, those aged 17 to 19 years were more likely not to receive conviction and discharge, with that group making up 11.5% of total sentences but just 8.6% of conviction and discharges.
Sentencing in New Zealand courts, year to 31 December 2015 (most serious offence): Proportion of demographic category for each type of sentence
Note that in the table below the information shows the proportion of each demographic category who received each sentence type. In the Ethnicity table, Europeans received 37.5% of total sentences imposed, Māori 40.3%, etc. Europeans received 30.6% of imprisonment sentences imposed, Māori 55.5%, etc.
|
Measure |
Total Sentences |
Imprisonment |
Home Detention |
Community Work, corrections |
Fine |
Conviction & Discharge |
All Others |
|
Total Sentences |
63,746 |
7,232 |
2,755 |
15,739 |
18,344 |
4,123 |
15,553 |
|
Ethnicity |
|||||||
|
European |
37.5% |
30.6% |
38.9% |
35.9% |
40.2% |
30.0% |
40.8% |
|
Māori |
40.3% |
55.5% |
40.6% |
46.1% |
29.1% |
41.6% |
40.1% |
|
Pacific Peoples |
9.7% |
8.4% |
8.9% |
9.8% |
9.9% |
14.3% |
9.0% |
|
Others |
4.5% |
3.2% |
3.7% |
3.5% |
6.7% |
3.7% |
4.4% |
|
Unknown/ Corporation |
8.1% |
2.3% |
7.8% |
4.8% |
14.2% |
10.3% |
6.4% |
|
Gender |
|||||||
|
Male |
77.4% |
90.1% |
80.4% |
78.5% |
75.0% |
72.0% |
74.2% |
|
Female |
22.0% |
9.7% |
19.6% |
21.3% |
24.1% |
26.7% |
25.2% |
|
Unknown/ Corporation |
0.6% |
0.1% |
0.0% |
0.1% |
1.0% |
1.4% |
0.6% |
|
Age in years |
|||||||
|
17 to 19 |
11.5% |
7.8% |
10.1% |
11.0% |
14.1% |
8.6% |
11.9% |
|
20 to 24 |
22.8% |
21.8% |
18.4% |
24.2% |
25.1% |
23.1% |
20.0% |
|
25 to 29 |
18.2% |
20.8% |
18.1% |
18.9% |
16.7% |
19.4% |
17.7% |
|
30 to 39 |
22.2% |
28.2% |
24.2% |
22.1% |
18.8% |
23.8% |
22.6% |
|
40 and over |
24.6% |
21.3% |
28.9% |
23.7% |
24.0% |
23.7% |
27.1% |
|
Unknown/ Corporation |
0.7% |
0.1% |
0.4% |
0.2% |
1.2% |
1.3% |
0.7% |
Sentencing in New Zealand courts, year to 31 December 2015 (most serious offence): Proportion of sentences received by demographic category
Note that in the table below the information shows the proportion of each sentence type by each demographic category. In the first line (Total Sentences) it shows that 11.3% of all sentences were Imprisonment, 4.3% were Home Detention, etc. In the Ethnicity table, 9.3% of sentences imposed on Europeans were Imprisonment, 15.6% on Māori were Imprisonment, etc.
| Measure | Imprisonment | Home Detention | Community Work, corrections | Fine | Conviction & Discharge | All Others |
| Total Sentences | 11.3% | 4.3% | 24.7% | 28.8% | 6.5% | 24.4% |
| Ethnicity | ||||||
| European | 9.3% | 4.5% | 23.7% | 30.9% | 5.2% | 26.6% |
| Māori | 15.6% | 4.4% | 28.3% | 20.8% | 6.7% | 24.3% |
| Pacific Peoples | 9.8% | 4.0% | 24.9% | 29.2% | 9.6% | 22.6% |
| Others | 8.2% | 3.6% | 19.2% | 43.1% | 5.4% | 20.4% |
| Unknown/Corporation | 3.2% | 4.2% | 14.5% | 50.5% | 8.3% | 19.3% |
| Gender | ||||||
| Male | 13.2% | 4.5% | 25.0% | 27.9% | 6.0% | 23.4% |
| Female | 5.0% | 3.8% | 23.9% | 31.5% | 7.8% | 27.9% |
| Unknown/Corporation | 2.2% | 0.3% | 5.5% | 49.2% | 15.6% | 27.3% |
| Age in years | ||||||
| 17 to 19 | 7.6% | 3.8% | 23.5% | 35.2% | 4.8% | 25.1% |
| 20 to 24 | 10.8% | 3.5% | 26.2% | 31.6% | 6.6% | 21.4% |
| 25 to 29 | 13.0% | 4.3% | 25.7% | 26.4% | 6.9% | 23.8% |
| 30 to 39 | 14.4% | 4.7% | 24.6% | 24.4% | 7.0% | 24.9% |
| 40 and over | 9.9% | 5.1% | 23.8% | 28.2% | 6.2% | 26.9% |
| Unknown/Corporation | 1.6% | 2.3% | 6.9% | 51.3% | 12.5% | 25.4% |
Data extracted from Statistics New Zealand.