More people were recalled to prison than released in the first half of 2026, official figures shown 

More people were recalled to prison than released in the first half of 2026, official data seen by the Howard League for Penal Reform reveal today (Thursday 29 October). 

A statistical bulletin published by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) shows that 12,338 people were recalled to custody in England and Wales between the beginning of April and the end of June, while 12,278 people were released. It continues a trend set between January and March, when 13,193 people were returned to prison and 12,977 released.

The high recall rate is a key contributor to the prison capacity crisis, which has prompted the government to introduce legislation that will mean thousands of people are released earlier in their sentences. The situation is so desperate that ministers have urged prison governors to identify office space, laundry rooms and storage areas that could be turned into cells.

Incidents of self-harm and violence have remained high as pressure on the system has grown. Safety in custody statistics, also published by the MoJ today, show that 360 people in prison died in the 12 months to the end of September 2026, including 66 people who died in circumstances recorded as “self-inflicted”.

Prisons recorded 68,231 incidents of self-harm in the 12 months to the end of June 2026, at a rate of one every eight minutes. Self-harm incidents fell by 12% in men’s prisons and fell by 3.8% in women’s prisons.

Over the same period, prisons recorded 29,944 assaults – at a rate of one every 18 minutes. This is a 4.1% decrease on the figures for the previous 12 months.

Rob Preece, Head of Communications at the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “The prison system is under enormous pressure, with chronic overcrowding, staff shortages and awful conditions that make it close to impossible to rehabilitate people effectively. Imposing ever longer sentences has led us to this crisis, but the alarmingly high rate of recalls is making a terrible problem even worse.

“Each month, thousands of people are being returned to prison, not for committing new offences but for breaching onerous licence conditions. Instead of receiving the support they need to move on from crime, they are going back to a world where drugs, violence, self-harm and 22 hours a day spent lying on a bunk have become the norm, with faint hope that things will somehow turn out differently next time.

“To tolerate overcrowding is to tolerate more suffering inside prisons and more victims of crime in our communities. The government has taken steps to reduce the prison population, but more action will be needed to achieve a lasting solution to the crisis.” 

Notes to editors 

1. The Howard League for Penal Reform is the oldest penal reform charity in the world. It is a national charity working for less crime, safer communities and fewer people in prison.
2. The Ministry of Justice statistical bulletin, Offender management statistics quarterly: April to June 2026, can be accessed online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/offender-management-statistics-quarterly-april-to-june-2026/offender-management-statistics-quarterly-april-to-june-2026 
3. The Ministry of Justice statistical bulletin, Safety in Custody Statistics, England and Wales: Deaths in Prison Custody to September 2026 Assaults and Self-harm to June 2026, can be accessed online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/safety-in-custody-quarterly-update-to-june-2026/safety-in-custody-statistics-england-and-wales-deaths-in-prison-custody-to-september-2026-assaults-and-self-harm-to-june-2026 
4. The Howard League and another charity, Centre for Mental Health, worked together on a joint programme on preventing people losing their lives through suicide in prison. Further information about the programme can be found on the Howard League website at: https://howardleague.org/our-work/transform-prisons/preventing-deaths-in-prison/inquiry-into-preventing-prison-suicides/   

Contact 

Noor Khan
Press and Public Affairs Officer
Tel: +44 (0)20 7241 7873
Email: [email protected]