Musical Dispatch from the Front – Numbers (2) – November 2015

[Frank Baarda]

Assalamu alaikum

 

I was going to devote today to answering some overdue replies to my emails. This very pertinent information got in the way, so those of you expecting a response, please bear with me.

 

A horrific well known use of numbers was when the victims of the Shoa, better known as the Holocaust, had numbers tattooed on their arms.

 

The Northern Territory authorities don’t go to such extremes, but none the less, love to play numbers games. I quote from one of yesterday’s NT ABC News online articles:

 

Growing number of NT prisoners serving entire sentences on remand, experts say

‘More than 40 per cent of all Northern Territory prisoners are on remand, with unsentenced inmates making up 52 per cent of those inside Darwin prison.

The NT's total prison population is sitting at just over 2,800, with the government saying it reflects a crime reduction.’

 

‘As of Monday this week, 52 per cent of prisoners in the Darwin Correctional Centre were awaiting sentencing, according to Department of Corrections data.

In the Alice Springs and Berrimah prisons, 35 and 34 per cent of inmates respectively were on remand.

Across the Northern Territory, 41 per cent of all prisoners had not been sentenced.’

 

‘Remand and sentenced inmates inside NT prisons, as of November 9

Remand inmates make up more than half of those inside Darwin prison and more than a third in both Berrimah and Alice Springs. Barkly and Datjala work camp prisoners (123 total) are not included in the data.’

 

‘After growing by a record 600 people between August 2024 and May 2025, the NT prison population appears to have plateaued, hovering just above the 2,800-person mark for the past six months.

As of Monday, the total number of prisoners was sitting at 2,828.’

 

‘NT total prison population (daily average), 2015-June 2025

The number of prisoners in full-time custody in the Northern Territory has risen from 1,648 to 2,810 in the past nine years.’

 

‘NT Police Force data shows that in the 12 months between August 2024 and August 2025, property offences in Darwin fell by 27 per cent and nearly halved in Alice Springs.’

 

And now for some statistics of my own:

The average number of uniformed police attending Yuendumu School’s community breakfast has increased by 200%. At yesterday’s breakfast there were 6 members of the constabulary, 100% of these were armed.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSFSPFV7xlc&t=2s

♫ ♫ ♫.Nina Simone - Children Go Where I Send You (1959)

 

Shalom

Frank