Inmates total to top 95,000 by 2015

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That figure represents an increase of nearly 15% on the 83,518 in prison earlier this month.

Prisons Minister David Hanson said the Government was committed to jailing "the most serious, dangerous, violent and persistent offenders in order to protect the public".

The projections ranged from 95,800 at the top end to 83,400 at the bottom end. The medium projection was 89,700, an increase of 6,182 or more than 7%.

Mr Hanson said the Government's prison building and renovation plans would increase capacity to more than 96,000 by 2014.

"We will always ensure we have enough prison places for those offenders who need to be locked up," he said.

Even the highest projection suggests a sharp slowdown in the prison population increase. Since 2000 it has increased by nearly 30% from an average of 64,600.

Overcrowding has forced ministers to release more than 34,000 prisoners early since summer last year.