Australia's largest Indigenous legal service has again raised the alarm at the number of Aboriginal people in custody in the Northern Territory.
It comes as the crackdown on crime by the new CLP government has seen more than one per cent of the state's population incarcerated, with new laws targeting bail, youth crime and public drinking all implemented.
Corrections data from last week revealed the total number of people in NT prisons stood at 2,673 - 222 of those housed inside police watch houses - and has prompted complaints from human rights and legal groups, as well as corrections staff.
An average of 40 Aboriginal people have been taken into custody every day since December, almost double the rate from January 2020.
On Monday night, the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) called for urgent reforms in the system to address "systemic inequalities," as well as placing a bigger emphasis on "diversionary, rehabilitation and education programs" as an alternative to prison.
"Many of our people are behind bars now [more] than ever before," NAAJA's chair, Theresa Roe, said.
"This alarming trend reflects the ongoing failure of the justice system, and it continues to have a devastating effect on families, communities, and the broader community."
She called the Closing the Gap target of a 15 per cent reduction in Aboriginal adult incarceration in the NT and 30 per cent for youths "just a pie in the sky".
"[It's] no longer reality and an embarrassment for the Northern Territory," Ms Roe said.
NAAJA said the local court is predicting criminal matters across the NT will reach 22,448 by June 30, a 24 per cent increase in 12 months.
A spokesperson said they had serious concerns about the use of watch houses for remand and as prisons.
"NAAJA clients continually raise complaints about the unacceptable state of watch houses and overcrowding, particularly the Palmerston watch house, and the lack of access to legal advice, family visits, showers and ablutions, stretching and exercise (at least one hour a day) and natural light," they said.
Adults are spending an average of 96 days on remand, whilst youths are spending an average of 86 days on remand awaiting trial.
Almost 70 per cent of people in prisons in the NT are on remand awaiting a court date. 88.3 per cent of all prisoners in the NT are Indigenous.
Earlier this month, Independent politician Yiŋiya Mark Guyula said he had written to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, calling for them to visit the NT.
Last week, National Indigenous Times reported on conditions in the Alice Springs Watch House where Indigenous women were kept in hot, poorly ventilated cells with up to 20 others, often only being able to drink from a tap above an often-blocked communal toilet.
"The justice system in the Northern Territory and government policies are completely failing Aboriginal people and creating ongoing intergenerational problems with these punitive approaches and laws," a NAAJA spokesperson said.
The organisation called for "immediate action" to increase investment in restorative action - including rehabilitation - which diverts people away from the justice system and address the root cause of offending; greater access to legal representation for Indigenous people; an independent review of the conditions of watch houses; and a Parliamentary inquiry into the impact of new criminal, corrections and bail legislation introduced by the CLP.
"Sadly, we see Aboriginal people entering the justice system, facing charges that could be mitigated with proper support and diversionary programs, which unfortunately are not supported and underfunded in the Northern Territory," Ms Roe said.
"Prisons and youth detentions centres should not be the default response for young people and adults facing complex issues like poverty, mental health, or substance abuse."
