Prison population now higher than when the government came to power

The prison population is rising so quickly that there are now more people behind bars than there were when the government came to power, official figures seen by the Howard League for Penal Reform reveal today (Monday 17 March).

At his first press conference as Prime Minister last July, Sir Keir Starmer acknowledged that there were “too many prisoners” as jails across England and Wales were stretched beyond capacity. Within weeks, his government introduced emergency measures to ease pressure on the system.

But even the early release of thousands of people has offered only temporary respite, as the prison population now stands at a higher level than it did on the morning after the general election. Data published by the Ministry of Justice show that there are 87,556 people in prison, compared with 87,453 on 5 July 2024.

The new figures underline the need for a lasting solution to the crisis. In a paper published by the Howard League last September, the most senior former judges in England and Wales called on the government to reverse the trend of imposing ever longer sentences.

A landmark sentencing review, led by the former Secretary of State for Justice, David Gauke, is due to report in the coming months.

Andrea Coomber KC (Hon.), Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “Prisons have been asked to do too much, with too little, for too long, and today’s figures reveal that even the early release of thousands of people has given the government only a few more months to solve this problem for good.

“It could not be clearer that further action is necessary. Making sentences longer and longer has put intolerable pressure on the system, and dealing with the consequences takes valuable resources away from preventing crime and supporting victims.

“Ministers have acknowledged that they cannot build their way out of this crisis. We must send fewer people to prison, curb the use of recall after release, and prioritise delivering an effective and responsive probation service that works to cut crime in the community.”

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 Howard League paper, Sentence inflation: a judicial critique, can be found here.
3. For more information about prison overcrowding, read the explainer article, Why are prisons overcrowded?, here.
4. For more information about the prison population, visit the Prison Watch page.
5. Prison population statistics are published by the Ministry of Justice on the GOV.UK website.

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