NSW Closing the Gap quarterly update March 2026

Aim

BOCSAR releases a series of products aimed to monitor the progress towards Closing the Gap targets 10 and 11.

The Closing the Gap Quarterly Report shows performance against two key indicators of Aboriginal over-representation in the justice system:

1. The number of Aboriginal people in custody
2. The number of court appearances involving Aboriginal people

The report also look at secondary measures which contribute to changes in custody and court volumes, including police actions, bail decisions, bail breaches, court outcomes and reoffending. Separate reports are available for Aboriginal adults (target 10) and Aboriginal young people (target 11).

Target 10 – Aboriginal Adults in custody

• In March 2026, there were 4,834 Aboriginal adults in custody, which is 34.4% of the adult custody population. The number and proportion of adults in custody who are Aboriginal is the highest on record.
• Over the two years from March 2024 to March 2026, the number of Aboriginal inmates increased by 902 adults (or up 22.9%), including a rise of 827 Aboriginal men and 75 Aboriginal women.

Target 11 – Aboriginal young people in custody

• In March 2026, there were 118 Aboriginal young people in detention, which is 53.6% of the youth detention population.
• In the two years between March 2024 and March 2026, the number of Aboriginal young people in detention decreased by 32 (21.3%), falling from 150 to 118.