Record-high prison population spurs emergency measures
updated on 03 September 2024
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The prison population in England and Wales has reached a record high, increasing by nearly 1,000 people in just one month. The number of jail sentences given to individuals involved in recent riots is said to have contributed to this spike.
The total prison population as of 30 August was 88,350, surpassing the previous highest recorded figure of 88,336 in February 2024. According to the BBC, at one point last week, there were fewer than 100 available cells across the whole of England and Wales. The overcrowding is said to have been exacerbated due to recent riot-related convictions and the fact that prisons don’t typically release offenders over the August Bank Holiday.
The Labour government had implemented emergency measures to address the overcrowding, including legislation that reduces the time inmates must spend in jail before automatic release from 50 to 40% of their sentence. This begins on 10 September with the aim to free up around 5,500 places. Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood warned that full jails could lead to a breakdown in law and order on the streets.
Additional emergency plans to tackle overcrowding in parts of England and Wales include Labour’s Operation Early Dawn, a temporary measure that summons defendants to court only when prison space is available. In addition, Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently stated that more prisons would be built once the government addresses planning laws. Labour has previously blamed Conservative-led governments for incarcerating more criminals without building more prisons and Starmer said this was one of the reasons for the capacity crisis.
Speaking on the prison crisis, Starmer highlighted the need “to change the planning regulation so we can build the prisons we need, because they are taking far too long, it’s far too slow, and that’s among the reasons we’re in the position we are”.
