Skip Content

Prison watch

Our weekly prison watch provides figures on the prison population from the Ministry of Justice.

87,699 people in prison in England and Wales

There are 87,699 people in prisons and young offender institutions in England and Wales. Sensible steps to reduce this number would make communities safer, by easing pressure on the system and enabling more people in trouble to get the support they need to move on from crime.

View prison overcrowding →

Overcrowding

Prisons are extremely overcrowded. Under the Ministry of Justice’s own definition of safety and decency, the prison estate should not hold more than 79,597 people. There are currently 8,102 men and women held above this level. Overcrowding is not evenly distributed across the prison estate, so some prisons hold many more people than they are designed to do so safely. You can find out more about which prisons are overcrowded and by how much on this page.

  • Join the Howard League

    We are the world's oldest prison charity, bringing people together to advocate for change.

    Join us and make your voice heard
  • Support our work

    We safeguard our independence and do not accept any funding from government.

    Make a donation