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Politics

UK fast-tracks £110 million to construct new prison cells in England and Wales

The Ministry of Justice will repurpose existing spaces within current facilities as part of broader plans to ease acute capacity pressure across the prison system.

Updated Aug 31, 2026 · 22:37 UTC1 reports

The short version

  • The UK government is fast-tracking £110 million from existing budgets to accelerate the creation of hundreds of prison cells in England and Wales.
  • Facilities will repurpose internal spaces such as unused offices, storage rooms, and laundries to add immediate capacity.
  • The move coincides with upcoming legislative updates to exclude certain violent offenders from early release programs and expedite the deportation of foreign prisoners.
  • Parliament is expected to hear details on Tuesday regarding sentencing reforms and an additional £18.9 million allocation for victim support services.

Key facts

  • The Ministry of Justice is fast-tracking £110 million from previously announced budget allocations to build hundreds of new prison cells in England and Wales.[BBC News]
  • The fast-tracked funds are drawn from a broader £7 billion capital investment plan intended to deliver 14,000 prison places by 2031.[BBC News]
  • New cell capacity will be created partly by converting unused offices, laundry rooms, and storage spaces within operating prisons.[BBC News]
  • The government signed a contract to begin construction on a new prison facility in Lancashire designed to hold 1,700 inmates.[BBC News]
  • Roughly 4,500 prisoners are projected for early release starting in October to help ease capacity strains, though individuals convicted of manslaughter, rape, and serious child sex offences are excluded.[BBC News]
  • Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy stated that there are currently 700 fewer prison places available than there were a year ago.[BBC News]

What remains uncertain

  • The precise timeline for completing the converted cells and bringing the fast-tracked capacity online remains unspecified.[BBC News]

Sources