JAIL FEARS
Prisons will run out of space in just 5 MONTHS as government unveils raft of new measures to tackle overcrowding crisis
The Justice Secretary said Britain is in a 'cycle of crisis'
MEN’S prisons are set to run out of space in just five months time with the justice system in chaos - sparking a new jail building plan.
A massive £4.7 billion plan to build three new prisons has been given the green light to deal with the shortage of space.
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Some offenders who are recalled to prison for a breach of their licence conditions will then be released after a fixed 28-day period, helping to create 1400 spaces.
But Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said it was “shameful” that in this country finds itself in the “cycle of crisis”.
She added that there has been a “total breakdown in law and order”. She said that her Tory predecessors “failed to act”.
The key measures in a dramatic Downing Street press conference this afternoon were:
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* Recall time for some offenders limited to a fixed 28 days
* Male prison population will be full in just five months at current rate
* Hitting zero capacity means police can't make arrests, Justice Secretary says
* Three new prisons to be built at cost of £4.7 billion
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* Tories blast new measures saying government are "siding with criminals"
Mahmood announced that those serving sentences between one and four years will only be recalled for a 28-day period.
She said the measures announced today will “tide us over” before the system totally breaks down - saying the fixed term measures will create 1,400 places.
She said: “Today, I am announcing a measure that will target the recall population, which has more than doubled in seven years.
“We will bring legislation in the coming weeks that means those serving sentences of between one and four years can only be returned to prison for a fixed 28-day period.
“Some offenders will be excluded from this measure, including any offender who has been recalled for committing a serious further offence.
“We also will exclude those who are subject to higher levels of risk management by multiple agencies where the police, prisons and probation services work together.”
But domestic abuse, violent and sex offenders will be “excluded” from the new fixed term measures, Ms Mahmood said.
The measure comes after those being recalled has jumped significantly in recent years.
The recall population was just 100 in 1993, before rising to 6,000 in 2018 and soared to 13,600 in March this year.
Amy Rees, interim permanent secretary at the Ministry of Justice, said: “The total prison population is 88,087 and the adult male estate is operating at approximately 99 per cent of its capacity every year.
“On our current trajectory, the prison population rises by 3,000, and now we expect to hit zero capacity, to entirely run out of prison places for adult men, in November of this year.
Amy Rees, interim permanent secretary to the Ministry of Justice, revealed the UK will run out of prison spaces entirely by November of this year.
The population of prisoners has been rising by about 3,000 each year - the equivalent of two new prisons full.
Manchester Arena terrorist ‘stabs 3 prison guards & throws hot cooking oil over them’ leaving woman fighting for life
It comes ahead of the Sentencing Review new week which is set to recommend that prisoners who behave well will only have to serve a third of their sentences under a radical shake up.
The Justice Secretary is due to accept plans drawn up in David Gauke’s sentencing review which is set to be published next week.
Instead of automatic release, each convict will be given a minimum and maximum sentence, depending on how serious the offence is.
Which length of time they serve will depend on whether they engage with rehabilitation in prison, training programmes, and education.
It mirrors the Texas system which Ms Mahmood traveled to see earlier this year.
And it comes after a prison guard had their throat slashed by an inmate in the latest incident of growing violence behind bars.
The staff member was attacked at HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes, according to the union representing prison officers.
A prisoner used an improvised weapon to attack the staff member who needed stitches to their neck and ear as a result.
Prisoners recalled will be free again after 28 days
by Julia Atherley, Home Affairs Correspondent
The Justice Secretary’s announcement today is the latest in a series of shifts towards ultimately sending fewer criminals to jail.
There was uproar when lags danced on the streets outside prisons last year to celebrate getting released at 40 per cent of the way through sentences, down from 50 per cent.
That policy is still ongoing, with at least 16,000 prisoners benefitting from early release.
Some were domestic abusers, despite Government promises that they would be excluded from the cohort.
For the victims of horrific crimes like stalking, assault or burglary, today’s announcement will come as a kick in the teeth.
The new measures will mean that anyone recalled to prison for breaking their licence - such as entering an exclusion zone, or failing to attend a probation meeting - will be free again in 28 days.
It will clear up around 1400 prison spaces but the Ministry of Justice has refused to say how many will leave jail as a result.
They will not have to face a Parole Board like they do now, which would assess if they are a risk to the community.
The Sentencing Review is due from David Gauke in the coming weeks and it is clear which way the Government is leaning.
More serious criminals will escape time behind bars for crimes which have devastating effects on real victims.
Another violent incident at the same jail involved an inmate who is locked up for terrorism charges.
And a near fatal attack at HMP Frankland by Manchester arena terrorist Hashem Abedi saw the lag throw hot cooking oil and stab three prison officers.
An investigation is also underway into how Southport killer Axel Rudakubana was able to hurl scolding water over a prison officer inside HMP Belmarsh.
The latest weekly prison population in England and Wales stands at 88,087, 434 below the last peak in the prison population of 88,521 inmates in September.
Just days after last year’s peak in numbers, the Government began freeing thousands of prisoners early as part of efforts to curb jail overcrowding.
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Ministers ordered early releases by temporarily reducing the proportion of sentences which some prisoners must serve behind bars from 50 per cent to 40 per cent.
As a result prisoners were seen dancing in the streets outside jails and popping champagne, in scenes which were widely criticised.
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