There are too many people in jail who don't need to be there, according to Justice Minister Andrew Little.
He plans to tackle the issue by looking at the way bail laws are being applied, and he also plans to reduce Maori offending while Labour is in office.
The government has been faced with projections that show if nothing is done, the prison population will increase by roughly 50 per cent over the next 10 years alone, Mr Little told TV3's The Nation on Saturday.
Some of the issues include people who should be eligible for parole but don't have access to the addiction or counselling courses in prison that they need to undertake, Mr Little said.
"They could be out doing productive, constructive things, but they're banged up in prison."
He said people in prison with mental health problems and literacy problems aren't getting the support they need either to overcome those issues.
Meanwhile, Mr Little said there would be a specific target for reducing Maori offending, but he did not detail the possible figure.
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