The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency says the territory government has been spending more than $100 million for overcrowded prisons.
Spokeswoman for NAAJA Priscilla Collins says some prisons are operating beyond capacity, making it difficult for them to adequately provide rehabilitation programs, education, employment opportunities.
Ms Collins says the over spend on prisons is taking money from areas like health and education and is failing to make communities safer because it is not addressing why people offend.
"We're looking at a 110,000 per adult that gets locked up for 12 months. We look at 200,000 per juvenile to get locked up. When you look at the statistics, 60 per cent of the people in jail are there for 6 months or less. So they're on minor offences, now why aren't these people doing community work orders, home detention, electronic surveillance.
"We're talking to people to be sentenced to a job inside a prison. Why do you have to go to prison to get those skills? Why aren't they available outside prison?"
