The incarcerated populace in England and Wales has reached an unprecedented level, according to statistics from the Ministry of Justice.
A total of 88,350 individuals were confined as of 30 August, reflecting an increase of 116 from the prior week’s figure of 88,234.
This marks a rise of almost 1,000 from four weeks prior and constitutes the highest end-of-week count since the commencement of weekly population reporting in 2011.
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Why are prisons overcrowded?
This number also exceeds the previous highest count of prisoners in England and Wales, which was 88,336 at the end of February 2024, drawn from distinct calculations of the month-end population size.
The significant increase is likely a result of the jail sentences issued to those convicted for their involvement in recent unrest in various regions of the country.
Over the past three years, the prison population in England and Wales has predominantly continued to rise, having dipped to 77,727 in April 2021 amid the COVID-19 crisis. Prior to the pandemic, numbers had consistently surpassed 80,000 since December 2006.
The count peaked at 88,179 on 2 December 2011 following the riots of summer 2011, subsequently experiencing a decline in the ensuing months.
Earlier this week, Sir Keir Starmer announced that additional prisons would be constructed to alleviate overcrowding, pending changes to the planning regulations.
In remarks to media representatives in Berlin, the prime minister noted that the lack of newly built prisons significantly contributes to the current capacity crises facing UK jails.
In July, the Labour government introduced a legislative proposal to shorten the duration of imprisonment for inmates, reducing their mandatory detention period from 50% to 40% of their sentence, aimed at managing overcrowding.
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A central commitment from Labour during the general election campaign was to streamline the planning system to facilitate developers in constructing on the “grey belt”.
Sir Keir asserted: “We must amend the planning regulations to allow us to construct the prisons we require, as the current process is taking far too long, contributing to our current circumstances.
“Naturally, as someone who has served as chief prosecutor, I recognize the necessity for imprisonment, and it is essential for individuals to understand that the law will be enforced.”
