World News
Available spaces in England and Wales male prisons fall to lowest level of year
The government plans to convert storage rooms into cells and implement an early-release scheme as capacity reaches 97%.
The short version
- Available spaces across the male prison estate in England and Wales have dropped to approximately 1,500, leaving prisons operating at 97% capacity.
- The government plans to release about 4,500 prisoners in tranches starting in October, though manslaughter convictions have been excluded from the scheme.
- A £110 million initiative will convert unused office, laundry, and storage spaces inside existing prisons into an estimated 200 to 900 new cells.
Key facts
- As of September 1, available spaces in the male prison estate in England and Wales fell to about 1,500, down from 3,040 at the beginning of June.[BBC News]
- Prisons in England and Wales are currently running at 97% capacity.[BBC News]
- The government plans to invest £110 million from existing budgets to convert internal areas like laundry and storage rooms into 200 to 900 new prison spaces.[BBC News]
- Approximately 4,500 prisoners are expected to be released in tranches starting in October under an early-release scheme.[BBC News]
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced that individuals convicted of manslaughter will be excluded from the early-release scheme following a campaign by the family of PC Andrew Harper.[BBC News]
- Mark Fairhurst, chairman of the Prison Officers' Association, questioned whether there are sufficient staff members available to supervise the additional prison spaces.[BBC News]
What remains uncertain
- The exact number of extra prison spaces that will successfully be created through the conversion of storage and laundry rooms remains undetermined, though Justice Secretary Alex Norris expects it to land between 200 and 900.[BBC News]
Sources
- Spaces in male prisons fall to lowest level of year, sources sayBBC News - Top Stories