Justice Minister Andrew Little wants to see a better balance in the current bail laws.

He wants changes to better protect the community from the worst offenders, but not clog up the system with remand prisoners - many of whom don't ever receive a jail sentence.

Little told Kate Hawkesby we have a falling crime rate, yet the fastest rising prison population rate in the Western world.

"It is just crazy, something is wrong. It's not about softening laws, it's about having a set of laws and a criminal justice system that does justice to victims and justice to offenders."

LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH KATE HAWKESBY ABOVE