The Government is to spend $24 million to provide extra beds in prisons.
Corrections Minister Judith Collins says the money will allow the Department of Corrections to explore different ways of providing more beds in the upper North Island.
Ms Collins says the Government would like to have an extra 1000 beds in the medium term.
The minister says double-bunking is planned for some of the new jails. However, she says with prison numbers set to rise further, that will not be enough.
Ms Collins says the Government will decide exactly where the funding will spent in next year's budget.
