As part of a broader initiative to expand the prison system, the government plans to construct three new prisons this year, following an expansion plan announced by the Attorney General.
Shabana Mahmood has introduced reforms regarding the recall of prisoners. Essentially, individuals serving sentences between one and four years can only face a fixed recall period of “28 days.”
Currently, when prisoners are recalled, they often serve the remainder of their sentences, though there are situations where this period is shortened.
The new measures are intended to tackle the ongoing prison crisis, as the latest weekly figures show the prison population in England and Wales stands at 88,087.
This figure is slightly lower than the previous peak of 88,521 recorded on September 6th, just before the government began the release of thousands of inmates to alleviate overcrowding.
Interim Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Amy Reese, warned that without further action from the government, “we will run out of prisons in just five months.”
