NSW Custody Statistics Quarterly update September 2025

Key findings: 

The new Quarterly Custody report includes data on time spent in custody, a regional breakdown of custody figures, and the latest statistics up to September 2025. 

Overall, the adult and youth detention populations remained largely stable over the past year. The number of adults in custody fell modestly by 1.3%, from 12,911 in September 2024 to 12,746 in September 2025. In contrast, Aboriginal adults in custody rose slightly by 1.8%, from 4,171 to 4,245, now accounting for 33.3% of the adult prison population (up from 32.3%).  

Youth custody numbers were virtually unchanged, with 211 young people in custody in September 2025 compared to 210 a year earlier. Among Aboriginal young people, the numbers also held steady, dropping slightly from 130 to 126. 

Time on remand – New Data (Table 8)

Over the past six years, the number of adults on remand has increased by 21%, with 984 more people held on remand as of 30 September 2025 compared to 2019. The share of the adult prison population on remand has grown from 34% to 44%.  

In the year to September 2025, 21,177 adults passed through remand, either discharged to the community or transferred to sentenced custody, 1,069 more than last year (up 5.3%) and 4,413 more than six years ago (up 26%). The median remand time rose to 46 days, up from 42 days last year—the highest in a decade.  

In the year to September 2025 there were 3,480 youth remand episodes, the highest in a decade. The median time young people spend on remand is 1 day, and this has been consistent over the past decade. Of the 3,480 young people on remand, 65% spent less than 2 days in custody.