Prison Capacity

The Government has announced a temporary measure to address the crisis facing the prison system in England and Wales. The Lord Chancellor, Shabana Mahmood, stated that the male prison estate has been running at over 99% capacity for the last 18 months, and that the system is on the verge of collapse. To avert a "total breakdown of law and order", the Government will introduce a statutory instrument to reduce the automatic release point for eligible standard determinate sentences from 50% to 40% of the sentence served in custody. In response, the shadow Lord Chancellor, Edward Argar, acknowledged the challenges facing the prison system but expressed significant public protection concerns about the proposed early release scheme. He sought assurances about the exclusions, safeguards, and long-term plans to address the capacity issues. Argar questioned whether the measure would apply to domestic abuse offenders, and called for a commitment to sunset the legislation and return to the House in 18 months. The debate that followed covered a range of topics. Several members, including Bambos Charalambous and John McDonnell, raised concerns about the treatment of prisoners serving indeterminate sentences for public protection (IPP) and the need for a comprehensive workforce strategy for prisons and probation. The Lord Chancellor acknowledged these issues and committed to building on the work of the previous government, while prioritizing public protection. Other members, such as Greg Smith and Liz Saville Roberts, discussed the need for new prison construction and the establishment of women's residential centres, respectively. The Lord Chancellor reiterated the Government's commitment to a 10-year capacity strategy and treating prisons as nationally important infrastructure, despite potential local opposition. The debate also touched on the importance of improving probation services, reducing reoffending, and ensuring effective communication and support for offenders upon release, particularly in relation to housing and employment. The Lord Chancellor outlined plans to recruit 1,000 new trainee probation officers and work with prisons, employers, and the voluntary sector to improve offenders' prospects. Throughout the debate, the Lord Chancellor emphasized that the early release measure is a temporary emergency response to the immediate crisis, and that the Government's long-term strategy will focus on building more prison capacity, strengthening probation, and driving down reoffending rates to create a sustainable solution for the criminal justice system.