Male prisons in England and Wales have fewer than 1,800 spaces
Male prisons in England and Wales are nearing capacity with fewer than 1,800 spaces remaining. The government is preparing for early releases to manage overcrowding, despite public and political concerns regarding the release of serious offenders.
Why it matters
The prison capacity crisis poses a significant challenge to the UK justice system and public safety policy.
Image source, Getty Images By Sima Kotecha , Senior UK Correspondent and Olivia Ireland Published 15 minutes ago Male prisons have fewer than 1,800 spaces available in England and Wales, the lowest level since March.
More than 83,000 spaces are occupied by male inmates, despite the government introducing a presumption against jailing anyone for under one year to free up more space.
Prison staff told the BBC the high level of offenders being recalled to prison for breaching license conditions given on their release or re-offending has cancelled out much of the extra room. Since June, there has been a downward trend in the number of vacant spaces.
The spike comes before the government is set to release about 5,000 inmates early from October to alleviate overcrowding.
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