The Northern Territory corrections system is “in a serious crisis” and there are growing human rights concerns for prisoners, advocates say, as inmate numbers soar to unprecedented levels with no long-term solution in sight. There are currently more than 2,200 people in custody in the NT ” almost one per cent of the territory’s population  That number has been steadily climbing over the past 10 years Legal experts have warned of human rights issues inside the corrections facilities The concerns have been raised following two incidents at the Alice Springs prison in the space of two weeks ”  a riot involving dozens of prisoners earlier this week and an attempted prison break  on Boxing Day. The NT’s prison population has been growing since 2012, when there were just 1,413 people incarcerated according to Australian Bureau of Statistics data, and there has been a particularly steep increase in recent years. As of Tuesday there were 2,217 people incarcerated in the NT ” almost 1 per cent of the territory’s population ” with about 41 per cent of those inmates on remand. According to NT Correctional Services, the Darwin Correctional Centre is currently functioning at its “operational capacity” of 1,373 inmates. That’s despite 325 more prisoners being at the facility than what it was designed to hold when built in 2014, and some sleeping on mattresses on the floor . The agency also said the Alice Springs Correctional Centre was 13 prisoners below its operational capacity of 680. The facility was originally designed to hold 204 fewer inmates when built in 1996. At the same time, a combined 54 inmates are being held at the NT Police administration headquarters and the Darwin City Watch House because the prisons are at capacity. A riot occurred at Alice Springs Correctional Centre on Sunday night. ( Nathan Coates ) Advocates have previously also highlighted a range of other issues inside the NT’s prisons, including understaffing, ageing infrastructure, and a lack of air conditioning at the Alice Springs facility, where summer temperatures can exceed 40 degrees. The jurisdiction has experienced rising crime rates in recent years, and early last year the NT government strengthened bail laws for crimes involving certain weapons. “When people talk to me about crime, they often say lock them up, Eva, just get in there and lock them up,” Chief Minister Eva Lawler told Radio Alice Springs on Tuesday. “… we are locking them up, but you know, is that the answer? It is part of the answer.” Eva Lawler says locking people up is part of the answer to crime in the NT. ( : Eva Lawler ) ‘A serious crisis’ Prisoner numbers across Australia have been climbing faster than the rate of population growth for decades, with the increase largely due to rising levels of people on remand. Australian Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay said while issues of rising prison populations, overcrowding and overheating were not unique to the Northern Territory, they were “particularly acute” in the jurisdiction. She said there appeared to be a lack of focus on preventing incarceration in the territory, and had particular concerns about the size of remand population. “Being detained in custody before your trial should be the exception, not the rule,” she said. “When we see an increasing percentage of individuals being held on remand and especially an increasing number of Indigenous people being held on remand, that really sits uncomfortably with the presumption of innocence that is the cornerstone of our democracy.” Lorraine Finlay says the issues in NT prisons are “particularly acute”. ( ) The national criminal justice spokesman for the Australian Lawyers Alliance, Greg Barns SC, said the current number of NT prisoners was leading to “a really dangerous situation” and was likely contributing to the recent incidents in Alice Springs. “What you’ve got in the Northern Territory is a serious crisis,” he said. “You get riots in prisons for a reason, and generally because [of] extraordinarily harsh conditions. “Overcrowding means you also get the increased risk of serious harm happening to prisoners through assaults, you’ll also get increased mental illness through people being isolated, or people being doubled up in prison cells with others.” Greg Barns says the NT corrections system is in crisis. ( : Peter Healy ) The interim chief executive of the Northern Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency, Darryl Pearce, said it was a huge concern that 88 per cent of inmates in the NT were Indigenous. “The justice system in the Northern Territory, both for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people, is failing the community,” Mr Pearce said. “We’re creating the largest prison population in the Northern Territory in conditions which are unacceptable.” Darryl Pearce is concerned about conditions within NT prisons. ( : Xavier Martin ) No plans for new prison  Neither one of the NT’s two major political parties currently has a policy to build a new prison, despite the escalating inmate numbers. NT Attorney-General and Justice Minister Chansey Paech has previously said he is opposed to another facility , pointing to alternative to custody options instead. No plans for new NT prison despite a record number of prisoners The NT government is conceding pressure on the justice system is “expected to continue for the foreseeable future”. Read more “We are working on a range of measures through our Aboriginal Justice Agreement to reduce the number of prisoners, such as alternatives to custody options, and [improving] justice outcomes across the Northern Territory,” he said last year. When asked about the possibility of a new prison if elected at the NT election in August, deputy opposition leader Gerard Maley said his party “would do whatever it takes to keep Territorians safe”.  He also said the CLP would conduct a review of current facilities to “make sure they are fit for purpose”. Despite the increasing prisoner numbers and rising crime rates, Mr Barns said the NT corrections system could be fixed, but only if both parties stopped their “race to bottom”. “What you do is you establish proper programs, early intervention and support for people in the community,” he said. “Locking people up does not reduce crime.”