The UK government unveiled a plan on Wednesday, December 11, 2024 to construct four new prisons by 2031, aiming to address a worsening overcrowding crisis that led to the early release of hundreds of inmates earlier this year.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the 10-year strategy to secure 14,000 additional prison spaces, including 6,500 from the new facilities. This initiative is part of a broader £10.1 billion ($12.8 billion) program, initially launched by the previous Conservative government, to create 20,000 new spaces—double its original budget.
Mahmood emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that prisons will now be classified as sites of “national importance” to accelerate construction. However, she admitted that even these measures might fall short.
“We cannot build enough to keep up with the pace of demand, which is rising very, very quickly,” Mahmood said during an interview with Times Radio. She blamed the crisis on the previous administration, accusing it of delivering less than a third of the promised prison spaces.
The prison population in England and Wales has surged in recent years, reaching 86,089 as of Monday, nearing the total capacity of 88,822.
Emergency measures earlier this year released some inmates early to prevent what Mahmood described as a potential “collapse” of the system. While she hopes to avoid similar actions in the future, she acknowledged that operational measures, such as expanding house arrest provisions, might still be necessary.
