Statistical presentation

Data description

The statistics on imprisonments form part of the criminal statistics. The criminal statistics include statistics on criminal cases from reported crimes and victims to convictions and also arrests and imprisonments.

The statistics is a case statistics and shows the number of arrests for violation of the penal code, the road traffic act and other special legislation.

The statistics covers all arrests made by the police in Denmark. The arrests are identified by a journal number which can be used by linking to other areas of the crime statistics.

In the published statistics the arrest are classified into type of offence, outcome (released or transferred to remand custody/imprisonment), sex, age and education.

Documentation of the variables in the statistics is available in TIMES.

Classification system

Grouping of the type of criminal offences. The criminal offences are divided into the penal code, the road traffic act and special law/legislation. The penal code is furthermore divided into four subgroups: Sexual offences, Crimes of violence, Offences against property and Other offences. The most special laws/legislation are referred to as single acts, while the rest are categorized as 'Other special laws/legislations'.

Sector coverage

Not relevant for these statistics.

Statistical concepts and definitions

Type of offence: Type of offence describes the kind of law violation which the imprisonment concerns. The criminal offences are divided into the penal code, the road traffic act and special law/legislation. Violations of the penal code are grouped in sexual offences, crimes of violence, offences against property and other offences. The most special laws/legislation are referred to as single acts, while the rest are categorized as 'Other special laws/legislations'.

Statistical unit

The unit in the statistics is arrests made by the police.

Statistical population

The population covered by the statistics is imprisonment started and/or ended during a calendar year and registered in the Central Criminal Register. If the extract from the register to Statistics Denmark is made before the imprisonment is registered it will not be included in the statistics.

Reference area

Denmark, except the Faroe Islands and Greenland.

Time coverage

The statistics covers the period from 2015 and onwards.

Base period

Not relevant for these statistics.

Unit of measure

Number.

Reference period

01-01-2023 - 31-12-2023

Frequency of dissemination

Annual.

Legal acts and other agreements

The Act on Statistics Denmark section 6.

There is no EU Regulation related to the statistics on imprisonments.

Cost and burden

There is no response burden as the statistics are based on registers.

Comment

Further information is available by contacting Statistics Denmark.