The number of inmates in NSW prisons continues to swell and could soon be at an all-time high.
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Figures show in December 2019 there were 13,635 people in the state's jails, just below the peak muster of 13,651 recorded in May 2018.
NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research spokeswoman Jackie Fitzgerald said on Tuesday this number would grow.
"Forecasts suggest that in the coming year the male prison population will increase again by more than 200," Ms Fitzgerald said in a statement.
The Law Society of NSW said in a statement an increasing prison population was placing significant pressure on the legal system.
Society president Richard Harvey called on the state government spend more money on early intervention and community-based health treatment.
He also wants an expansion of the NSW Drug Court to Dubbo.
"The high prison population is putting significant pressure upon an already struggling system resulting in a substantial and continually increasing backlog in our courts and delays in justice - all at a time when our legal aid system is under increasing pressure," he said.
Australian Associated Press
