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| UK prison population reaches all-time high |
| By Press Association |
| Published: 06/29/2006 |
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UNITED KINGDOM - The UK prison population has reached an all-time high of 77,865, the Home Office announced today - less than 1,700 below operational capacity. It is 42 higher than in November last year, although a further 1,300 places have been made available since then. The Home Office said the Government was "committed to ensuring that dangerous, violent and seriously persistent offenders are kept in prison, and for a long time if necessary". Another 1,000 places are due to be available by autumn 2007. A spokesperson said: "The National Offender Management Service is closely monitoring the prison population, which fluctuates on a daily basis, and continues to investigate options for providing further increases in capacity to that already planned. "The rising population is, in the meantime, being managed within existing capacity, including the change in function of two women's prisons, Brockhill and Bullwood Hall, to increase the male prisoner capacity to reflect the current pressures." The record figure was announced after a report into the murder of a teenage Asian prisoner called for more Government action to reduce overcrowding. Zahid Mubarek was bludgeoned to death by racist psychopath cell mate Robert Stewart in March 2000 at Feltham Young Offenders Institution in west London. In a damning official report, High Court judge Mr Justice Keith warned that ministers must find extra cash to cope with growing prison numbers and called for the Prison Service to eliminate forced cell sharing. In a clear message to the Government, he said in his report: "The bottom line is that you are only going to get the prisons you are prepared to pay for. "Either you keep the prison population down by changing sentencing policy, or you accept that the prison population will increase, and you inject sufficient funds into the system to ensure that prisoners are treated decently and humanely." Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg said: "Prison numbers are reaching crisis point. With the Mubarek inquiry highlighting the potentially devastating effects of overcrowding, we cannot let these problems get worse. While violent and serious offenders are rightly given jail sentences, there are still far too many people in prison who shouldn't be there. Drug users and those with mental health problems should be in treatment, while minor offences should be tackled with tough community penalties rather than a few short weeks in prison. Building ever more prisons is not the answer." Shadow home secretary David Davis said: "The Government must address urgently the lack of capacity in our prisons. "If not, the public will have to live with the consequences of Labour's disastrous prison policy, as more dangerous offenders remain on our streets. "Adequate prison capacity is also vital to ensure that prisoners are kept in an environment that is safe and conducive to rehabilitation." |
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