NSW should increase alternatives to prison for minor offences, encourage lower sentences, review bail laws and consider a needle exchange trial in prisons.

These are some of the election proposals put forward by the Coalition in response to a call for prison reform.

Needle exchange ... Coalition will consider trial. Credit:Michael Clayton-Jones

The commitments come from the Coalition's campaign director, Mark Neeham, in a policy questionnaire by the Community Justice Coalition.

Responses by the Labor Party to the proposals were along the lines of ''the government is already doing this''. The party's 37-page response features the word ''already'' 51 times.