The prison population of England and Wales has reached 88,238 people as of Monday, the highest number in nearly a year, according to official Ministry of Justice figures. This represents an increase of 231 from the previous week and a rise of more than 1,200 in the past two months, as PA Media reports.
The current figure sits just 283 prisoners below the record high of 88,521 reached in September last year during the aftermath of summer riots across UK towns and cities. The spike has occurred despite government efforts to ease overcrowding through early prisoner releases, with 26,456 offenders freed early since last year, according to official data.
Early release measures
The early release scheme was launched as an emergency measure in September, allowing eligible inmates serving more than five years to be released after completing only 40% of their fixed-term sentence rather than the usual 50%. Ministers have since announced further plans to free up space following a major independent review by former Conservative Lord Chancellor David Gauke, as PA Media reports.
Under proposed reforms, prisoners in England and Wales could be released after serving just one-third of their sentence, though some inmates including those with terror convictions will remain ineligible. The changes aim to address the ongoing overcrowding crisis affecting the prison system.
Deportation scheme expansion
The government has expanded its "deport now, appeal later" scheme to include offenders from 15 additional countries, bringing the total to 23 countries under plans announced on Monday. The new countries include India, Bulgaria and Australia, with officials stating that increasing deportations will help ease pressure on overcrowded prisons.
However, Ministry of Justice figures from the end of June show there are currently just 772 prisoners from the 15 new countries covered by the expanded scheme. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the move, which requires parliamentary approval, would save £54,000 annually per prison place.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
