Western Australia consolidated its reputation as the state most inclined to jailing Aborigines by recording an almost 25 per cent increase in indigenous prisoners last year.

WA led other Australian states and territories in putting more indigenous people behind bars, latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures revealed today.

The average number of indigenous in WA jails burgeoned from 785 in 1998 to 977 last year.

The figures add weight to the United Nation's anti-racism committees argument for condemning WA and the Northern Territory's mandatory sentencing laws last week.

Despite recommendations of the Black Deaths in Custody Royal Commission in 1991 to reduce indigenous prison populations, South Australia was the only state or territory to record a decline.

Full statistics for NSW and Victoria were not available.

The NT, with the largest proportion of Aborigines in its prison population, averaged 447 indigenous prisoners last year - an increase of eight.

Overall prison populations grew by 988, or five per cent, last year.

The largest increases were in WA (12 per cent) and NSW (six per cent).

South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory, including ACT prisoners held in NSW jails, experienced the only declines.

AAP

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