Making criminals do community work is more effective at stopping reoffending than good behaviour bonds, NSW's top crime statistician has found.
But only 3.4 per cent of offenders get a community service order, while more than 20 per cent are put on a bond.
The Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) released figures on Tuesday that compared 6501 adult offenders given a section 9 good behaviour bond with the same number who were handed a CSO.
The groups were matched in terms of age, gender, indigenous status, type of offence.
Rates of reconviction were then compared.
It found on average 17.3 per cent of offenders on a CSO were reconvicted within 24 months.
For those on bonds, the figure was 19.8 per cent.
Director of the Bureau, Dr Don Weatherburn, said the difference appears small but is probably larger than the figures suggest.
"They don't differ much in their conviction rates, they often differ greatly in offending rates," Dr Weatherburn told AAP.
Dr Weatherburn said the findings highlighted the need for more resources to make community service work more readily available and to properly enforce it.
"If you give CSOs to 10,000 or 20,000 reoffenders you're getting big savings on prisons and many less victims," he said.
Since 1994, CSOs in NSW have declined from 6 per cent to less than 4 per cent.
