Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood during a visit to HMP Bedford in Harpur, Bedfordshire, ahead of announcing plans to address prison overcrowding amid fears jails will run out of space within weeks, July 12, 2024
THOUSANDS of prisoners are to be released earlier than planned as the government attempts to avert a “collapse” of the prison system.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood warned today that without immediate action to address overcrowding prisons would run out of space within weeks, leading to “a total breakdown of law and order.”
She said prisons were “on the point of collapse” with barely 700 places left in the adult male estate and jails operating at 99 per cent capacity since the start of 2023.
The announcement of a Women’s Justice Board should be cautiously welcomed, writes SABINA PRICE, but we need to see a recognition that our prison system is in crisis and disproportionately punishes some of the most vulnerable people in society
Working in a high-risk sector, prison officers’ calls for proper PPE must be heeded – and the POA will be fighting to ensure effective protection at work is delivered, writes MARK FAIRHURST