Time for Vic prison rethink: lobby groups

Legal centres and social groups say Victoria's spiralling prison population calls for a policy rethink.

More than 1000 prisoners have been added to the population since 2012 - a 25 per cent jump.

Jesuit Social Services CEO Julie Edwards says investment in housing, health and training could lead to a drop in recidivism.

A Victorian Ombudsman's report tabled in Parliament on Thursday found that despite the state's tough-on-crime approach recidivism had jumped from 34 per cent to 44 per cent in five years.

Michelle McDonnell, from the Federation of Legal Centres' Smart Justice project, said it was time to rethink Victoria's approach to rehabilitation and corrections.

"The Victorian Ombudsman has vindicated the evidence-based approaches that we have been advocating for the last four years," Ms McDonnell said.