LONDON, Jan. 29 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:

* Government action finally puts jails on a sustainable footing, projections show * Jailswouldhave fully run out of space by Juneif Government had not actedto keep public safe. * Prison crisiswill beended throughsentencing reforms andlargestprisonexpansion since Victorian era. * Annual capacity statementpublishedto increase transparency,part of Plan for Change.

Published today(29 January), new projections showthat withoutthe Government's Sentencing Act-whichreceived Royal Assent last week-the country would havecompletely run out of prison placesas early as Junethis year.

This Government's decisive action has safeguarded the police, courts, and wider criminal justice system, and avoided a potentially catastrophic breakdown of law and border.

Under the last Government, prisons were regularly run red-hot at99% capacity,with police chiefs warning that they would need to pause "non-priority" arrests.

Without action, the police would have been unable to make arrests, and courts would have been unable to send dangerous offenders to jails.

The last government added only 500 placesto the prison estate in 14 years, but this Government will never accept puttingpublic safety at risk.

Thatis why alongsidesentencing reforms,it is pressing ahead with the biggestjailexpansion programmesince the Victorian era - delivering 14,000 extra prison places by 2031 with 2,900 already built.

Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy, said:

These figures are a stark reminder of theticking time-bomb weinheritedin our prison system,brought on bya legacy of neglect,withonly 500places added to the estate in 14 years.

We have moved at speed to fix thisand make our streets safer,as part of our Plan for Change.We'reoverhauling sentencingand building thousands of prison placesfasttoprotectthe publicandmake surethere is always a cell for dangerous criminals.

The prison estate hasoperatedat over 95% occupancy for more than twelve years. At one point in 2024, fewer than 100 spaces remained in the adult male estate.

Now,projections set out in the Government's Annual Prison Capacity statement published today,show that without further action the situation wouldagainbecome criticalby March with demandfor prison placesfully exceeding supplywithin six months. This is despite therapidrate at whichjailspaces are currently being built.

The Sentencing Actwill grip thiscrisis, makingsure future governments always have the prison places needed to keep people safe. This will keep dangerous criminalslocked up, while bringing in tough new punishmentsthat cut crime. To keep the public safe, more criminals will be tagged than ever before, and the probation service will be backed with £700 million extra funding.   

The Actwill alsomakechanges totherecall system, withoffenders who breach the conditions of theirlicence returned to prison for a set56days. This will cutthe number of prisoners waiting for a Parole Board decisionafter being returnedto custody for often minorinfractionsand givethe Probation Service more time to prepare for a release. The most serious and violent offenderswill be excluded from this change, whowill only be released after they are considered by the Parole Board.

The prison population is expected to rise significantly throughout this Parliament, ataround 3,000 a yearwithout intervention,due tocontinued growthin police charging and prosecutions,increased court activity and longer sentence lengths.

The combination of changes to sentencing, whichwill slow the projectedrise in the prisonpopulation by 7,500 by 2028, with £7billion investment adding thousands of extra prison placesover the next five years, will put an end to the chronic crises of the last 15 years and enable our prisons to be managed effectively with public safety the top priority.

The Governmentis committedto greater transparency around how prison places are managed, publishing the first Prison Capacity Annual Statementin 2024.The Sentencing Act now makes this an annual statutory requirement, setting the standard for future governments.

Background

* TheGovernment has committed up to £7 billion over the next five years todeliver 14,000 new prison places by 2031. Since July 2024, 2,900 places have been delivered, including the new HMPMillsikein Yorkshire. * There are also more than5000places currently under construction.Meanwhile,around 500 more prison places are undergoing maintenance work compared to this time last year. * The full annual statement is available at Annual Statement on Prison Capacity: 2025 - GOV.UK

Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.