The number of people in prison has reduced by more than 20 percent in the last three years

In March 2018, the prison population peaked at 10-thousand-820 - today numbers sit at eight thousand-512.

The reason for the reduction in the prison population isn't yet known, but the number of people remanded in custody has fallen by around 800, since the country entered the Covid-19 lockdown in March.

Anton Youngman of the Ministry of Justice says fewer criminal cases entered the District Court, and the judiciary prioritised hearings where a person was in custody.