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Table 1 Charge histories of opioid-dependent people with at least one criminal charge according to Indigenous status, December 1993-December 2011

From: Offending, custody and opioid substitution therapy treatment utilisation among opioid-dependent people in contact with the criminal justice system: comparison of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians

Among people charged at least once

Indigenous (N = 6,830)

Non-Indigenous (N = 28,132)

Total (N = 34,962)

Males

4,615 (67.6%)

20,179 (71.7%)

24,794 (70.9%)

Females

2,215 (32.4%)

7,953 (28.3%)*

10,168 (29.1%)

Median no. charges (IQR) (Min-Max)

25 (31) (1–175)

9 (16) (1–314)#

11 (21) (1–314)

Median no. proven charges (IQR) (Min-Max)

   

Among all charged

21 (27) (0–166)

8 (15) (0–301)#

9 (18) (0–301)

Among those who had any proven charge

21 (27) (1–166)

8 (15) (1–301) #

10 (18) (1–301)

N (%) charges by major crime types

   

Homicide and related offences

144 (0.1%)

262 (0.1%)

406 (0.1%)

Acts intended to cause injury

27,647 (13.1%)

35,490 (8.4%)

63,137 (10.0%)

Sexual assault and related offences

590 (0.3%)

739 (0.2%)

1,329 (0.2%)

Dangerous or negligent acts endangering persons

3,834 (1.8%)

10,498 (2.5%)

14,344 (2.3%)

Abduction, other offences against the person

1,204 (0.6%)

1,597 (0.4%)

2,801 (0.4%)

Robbery, extortion and related offences

3,010 (1.4%)

3,554 (0.8%)

6,564 (1.0%)

Unlawful entry/burglary, break and enter

13,169 (6.3%)

20,347(4.8%)

33,516 (5.3%)

Theft and related offences

50,364 (23.9%)

105,453 (24.9%)

155,817(24.6%)

Fraud, deception and related offences

7,275 (3.5%)

23,076 (5.4%)

30,351 (4.8%)

Illicit drug offences

15,132 (7.2%)

47,903 (11.3%)

63,035 (9.9%)

Prohibited and regulated weapons offences

1,780 (0.9%)

5,111 (1.2%)

6,891 (1.1%)

Property damage and environmental pollution

9,676 (4.6%)

12,964 (3.1%)

22,640 (3.6%)

Public order offences

21,629 (10.3%)

34,999 (8.3%)

56,628 (8.9%)

Traffic and vehicle regulatory offences

27,231 (12.9%)

75,682 (17.8%)

102,913 (16.2%)

Offences against justice procedures

26,076 (12.4%)

40,940 (9.7%)

67,016 (10.6%)

Miscellaneous offences

1,832 (0.9%)

5,588 (1.3%)

7,420 (1.2%)

Charges for any property offence (N, % all charges)

52,594 (25.0%)

104,930 (25.0%)

157,524 (25.0%)

Charges for any violent offence (N, % all charges)

31,349 (14.9%)

39,962 (9.4%)

71,311 (11.2%)

Total number of charges

210,593

424,203

634,796

Total number of proven charges

177,887

365,531

543,418

Percentage of charges proven

84.5%

86.2%

85.6%

  1. *Chi-square test, p < 0.001; # Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test, p < 0.001.