[Supplementary tables M2]

This section provides detailed breakdowns of index offence groups in the sentenced average daily population discussed in section 1.3 into index offence categories[1].  The 50 offence categories (and eight over-arching offence groups) provide high-level summaries of the offence profile of the prison population, but necessarily mask the full complexity of the offence profiles of individuals in the prison population.

4.1 Group 1 – Non-sexual crimes of violence

The largest category of offence in Group 1 remains ‘Serious assault and attempted murder’.  The sentenced (average daily) population with this index offence was 1,012 in 2022-23, broadly in line with the previous year (+1% from 1,005). 

The second largest category in Group 1 was ‘Murder and culpable homicide’, which remained largely stable from the previous year at 569 on the average day in 2022-23 (compared to 571 in 2021-22).

The population with an index offence of common assault fell substantially during 2020-21 but has continued to rise since.  On the average day in 2022-23 this was 494, compared to 489 and 442 in 2021-22 and 2020-21 respectively.  This remains lower than pre-pandemic levels (568 in 2019-20). 

There was a 10% reduction in the sentenced population with the index offence of ‘Robbery’ in 2022-23, from 348 in 2021-22 to 312.

There was a 15% increase in the sentenced population with an index ‘Domestic Abuse Act’ offence (from 44 in 2021-22 to 51 in 2022-23).  Offences in this category are those covered by the 2018 Act[2] and therefore do not cover the totality of domestic abuse related offences in the prison population.

4.2 Group 2 – Sexual offences

In line with the previously observed rising trend[3], the (average daily) sentenced population with an index offence of ‘Rape and attempted rape’ increased between 2021-22 and 2022-23.  This population rose by 13% from around 736 in 2021-22 to 831 on an average day in 2022-23, and remains the largest population category in Group 2.

The second largest category was the sentenced population with the index offence of ‘Sexual assault’, which increased 6% over the same period from 228 to 241.

Increases were observed in the categories ‘Indecent photos of children’, ‘Crimes associated with prostitution’ and ‘Threatening to or disclosing intimate images’.  The largest of these, and the third largest index offence category in group 2, was ‘Indecent photos of children’, which increased from 63 in 2021-22 to 71 in 2022-23.

4.3 Group 3 – Crimes of dishonesty

While the (average daily) sentenced population with offences in Group 3 continued to fall overall (-12%), this pattern was not consistent across all index offence categories in the group. 

The largest category ‘Housebreaking’ saw a 25% decrease from 175 in 2021-22 to around 132 in 2022-23.  Across the other categories there was broad stability in 2022-23.  The population with an index offence of ‘Shoplifting’ – the second largest category in this group – increased slightly from 44 to 46.  The population of those with the index offence ‘Theft of a motor vehicle’ rose 35%, but the absolute numbers remained small (17 in 2021-22 and 23 in 2022-23.

4.4 Group 4 – Damage and reckless behaviour

The overall number of those with a Group 4 index offence continued to fall in the (average daily) sentenced population with an 11% reduction between 2021-22 and 2022-23 from 90 to 80.  There were reductions in the population with an index offence of ‘Reckless conduct’ (-10 to 33) and ‘Vandalism’ (-1 to 12), while the population with an index offence of ‘Fire-raising’ increased (+2 to 36). 

4.5 Group 5 – Crimes against society

The (average daily) sentenced populations across the group 5 offence categories fell by 8% overall in 2022-23 from 807 to 743.  The largest index offence category in this group is ‘Drugs – Supply’, whose population fell by 6% from 381 in 2021-22 to 357 in 2022-23.  The largest proportionate reduction was in the ‘Weapons possession’ category, which fell 16% from 238 to 199 on the average day in 2022-23.  It remains the second largest category in this group, ahead of ‘Crimes against public justice’ where the population fell from 139 to 134 on the average day in 2022-23.

4.6 Group 6 – Antisocial offences

The (average daily) sentenced population with Group 6 index offences  increased 3% from 232 in 2021-22 to 238 in 2022-23.

Around 95% of this population group had an index offence of ‘Threatening and abusive behaviour’ (226, +5 in 2022-23).  The remainder of this population group had index offences of ‘Community and public order offences’ (7, +2 in 2022-23) and ‘Racially aggravated conduct’ (5, -1 in 2022-23).

4.7 Group 7 – Miscellaneous offences

The (average daily) sentenced population with Group 7 index offences rose slightly overall between 2021-22 and 2022-23 (+6 to 118).  In 2022-23, around 58% of the population with Group 7 index offences had index ‘Licensing offences’ (68), while a further 46 had index ‘Other miscellaneous offences’.  On the average day in 2022-23 there were 4 with index ‘Wildlife offences’.

4.8 Group 8 – Road traffic offences

As in previous reporting years, those with an index offence of ‘Dangerous and careless driving’ made up on average around 57% (48, -5 in 2022-23) of this population group .  Those with an index offence of ‘Unlawful use of vehicle’ decreased marginally from 26 in 2021-22 to 25 in 2022-23, and those with an index offence of ‘Driving under the influence’ rose +4 to 12 in 2022-23.