Prison population rises as ministers seek to tackle overcrowding
The latest figure is the highest since the peak, which was recorded just before the Government began freeing thousands of prisoners early as part of efforts to curb overcrowding.
The scheme meant the total had fallen by nearly 3,000 from the peak by the end of 2024 to 85,618, but since the start of 2025 the number has been on an upwards trend.
Latest Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures published on Monday show the number of inmates in jails has risen by 2,485 since December 30.
It comes as the Government announced further emergency plans to release some criminals on recall earlier to free up around 1,400 prison places.
It is hoped the move, which sparked a backlash over concerns for victims and public safety, will 'buy time' before sentencing reforms are expected to take effect next spring.
The MoJ's permanent secretary, Amy Rees, warned last week that, based on the current trajectory, the prison population rises by 3,000 each year and is now expected to hit zero capacity for male prisons by November this year.
Our prisons are nearly full.
If we don't do anything now, we risk a total breakdown of law and order.
Lord Chancellor @ShabanaMahmood and @MoJPermSec spoke at @10DowningStreet to outline government action on the prison capacity crisis. 👇
Find out more: https://t.co/YUAskE0Nxy pic.twitter.com/kmsKmNI7lf
— Ministry of Justice (@MoJGovUK) May 14, 2025
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the changes to recall are necessary, because if prisons overflow 'we reach a total breakdown of law and order'.
Legislation to bring in the changes is expected to be introduced in the coming weeks.
Latest figures on Monday show the operational capacity for men and women's prisons is 89,551, indicating there are 1,448 spaces available for criminals.
An additional 1,350 cell spaces tend always to be kept free above the overall operational capacity of the prison estate in England and Wales as a contingency measure so jails can cope with a sudden influx of inmates or change in the make-up of the prison population, according to the MoJ.
We're building more prisons to keep the public safe.
This funding will allow us to start building three new prisons, and fund additional cells in existing prisons.
Read more: https://t.co/5ZA8snLjSF pic.twitter.com/9KG7g6THh4
— Ministry of Justice (@MoJGovUK) May 15, 2025
Ms Mahmood also announced that three new prisons will be built, starting this year, as part of a 'record prison expansion', after securing a capital investment of £4.7 billion.
Ministers have promised to find a total of 14,000 cell spaces in jails by 2031.
Plans for long-term reform are also expected to be introduced following the independent sentencing review, which is due to be published soon.
The review, led by former justice secretary David Gauke, is exploring options to hand offenders tougher punishments outside prison, while making sure there is space to jail the most dangerous criminals.
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The Guardian
23 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Shabana Mahmood: justice secretary and rising star of the Labour party
Shabana Mahmood knows what it is like to live in an area where crime feels out of control. While she was growing up in Small Heath in inner-city Birmingham in the 1980s and 90s, her father kept a cricket bat behind the till of the family shop to fend off would-be robbers. Three decades later, Mahmood is Labour's justice secretary and lord chancellor, tasked with cutting crime at a time when public concern about it is rising. Though violent crime has fallen steadily over decades, recent increases in highly visible offences including shoplifting and snatch theft have contributed to a feeling of lawlessness and insecurity. Fanning the flames are politicians including Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, and Robert Jenrick, Mahmood's Conservative counterpart, who have sought to draw a link between crime – particularly sexual assault – and immigration. For Mahmood, being the daughter of immigrants is central to her worldview about justice. 'She feels very strongly that being British is a responsibility as well as a right,' a source close to her said. 'She really does feel like it's an affront when people who come here are afforded the welcome that she and her family were, but break the laws of the land.' Another politician shaped by his upbringing as the child of immigrant parents was Rishi Sunak, who felt strongly that it was an injustice for people to arrive illegally in Britain on small boats. Though their backgrounds and politics are very different, Mahmood and Sunak crossed paths at Oxford in the late 90s, with a teenage Sunak pledging his support for Mahmood when she stood for president of the Lincoln college student union. Last week, she received the surprise endorsement of another high-profile Tory: Michael Gove. Asked by the Politics Inside Out podcast to choose this government's standout figure, he replied without hesitation: Shabana Mahmood. Mahmood is a politician with 'a totally coherent worldview' who 'embodies in some respects the Labour coalition', he said. Mahmood has a growing number of admirers inside the Labour party, too. Having been a central figure in the Keir Starmer project from its early days, she is highly rated by No 10 and is thought of as one of its most effective ministers. A cabinet colleague said she 'never wastes a word' in meetings, and recently warned that the government was still caught up in an opposition mindset and preoccupied with taking on the left instead of speaking to the concerns of the country more widely. She has also been a leading advocate for the UK to take a more pro-Palestinian stance, including on statehood. Those who have worked with Mahmood praise her political nous. This year, she emerged unscathed from a clash with Jenrick over new sentencing guidelines that would have made an offender's ethnicity or faith a greater factor when deciding whether to jail them. She forced the Sentencing Council to back down and has ordered a review of its role. Early on, she also clashed with Richard Hermer, the attorney general, amid claims he was obstructing aspects of the government's agenda. Colleagues say the pair get on well personally but come from different traditions. 'Shabana believes, above all else, in parliamentary sovereignty and the value of our common law system. That makes her more of a reformer on things like the ECHR, [European convention on human rights]' a source close to her said. A former Conservative minister said: 'She has much better political antennae than Lord Hermer – she recognises that the law ultimately has to command public confidence.' One source who has worked with her in a previous role said: 'Her instincts are so well honed, it's quite something. It's a product of a number of things, she comes from a very political family and a very febrile political environment in Birmingham.' Her father was chair of the Birmingham Labour party and would host meetings for organisers – including Tom Watson, the future deputy Labour leader – in his living room over tea and samosas. Unusually among politicians, she has spoken about the importance of her faith. 'It is the absolute core of my life,' she told Gove in an interview with the Spectator. 'It's where I draw my sense of duty and public service from. My understanding of Islam, how I've practised Islam my whole life has been about viewing life as a gift from God but it's also a test from God.' 'She is a very defined politician with a real instinct for the times,' said Charlie Falconer, who served as justice secretary under Tony Blair. 'She is somebody who does understand politics in a profound way, and having been the campaign coordinator for Labour for quite some time she knows what has to be done in order to win elections.' Mahmood was elected to parliament in 2010 and within six months was promoted to a shadow frontbench role. In Starmer's shadow cabinet, she spent more than two years as national campaign coordinator, a role in which she became indispensable to the strategy chief, Morgan McSweeney. She is credited for helping secure the narrow but fateful win in the 2021 Batley and Spen byelection, without which Starmer would probably have faced a leadership challenge that summer. In the justice department, she has arguably inherited the most difficult situation of any minister. In her first week, she announced the early release of thousands of criminals in response to the overcrowding crisis in English and Welsh prisons. 'She knows she has got two things she has got to do in the justice department: get it out of this constant cycle of crisis and also use it to actually cut crime,' said the source close to her. She has set out plans for reforming the criminal justice system, which have ranged from chemical castration for serious sex offenders to allowing criminals to spend less time in prison and instead be rehabilitated in the community. She has taken inspiration from Texas, where there is a blend of hardline and progressive measures. 'She's not bowed down by an ideological approach to these things. She can blend some populism in with what are very strong values,' said the person who worked with her in the past. Mahmood's experience of government so far has convinced her of the need to rewire the state and empower elected politicians over officials and quangos. 'Shabana is starting to be seen particularly as a leader of 'if we need to break things, we should break things' … She has come to really believe in the depths of state failure,' one MP close to her said. In a speech in Strasbourg this summer, she announced that the UK would seek reform of the European convention on human rights amid concerns about it being cited to block the deportation of dangerous offenders. The justice secretary has a busy autumn in store, starting with plans to introduce a bill in September to deliver her sentencing reforms including shorter prison sentences for some offenders. Before the end of the year, she intends to set out the other half of her reform agenda to tackle the groaning backlog in crown courts, after a review by Brian Leveson recommended that some offences be tried without a jury. However she performs in government, by the time of the next election Mahmood may face her biggest challenge at home. Her majority in Birmingham Ladywood dropped from nearly 30,000 in 2019 to 3,400 last year after a challenge from a pro-Gaza independent candidate. Zarah Sultana, the independent MP who is starting a party with Jeremy Corbyn, is said to have designs on the seat. Allies of Mahmood say that her challengers face an uphill struggle. 'She is much more deeply embedded in her community than others who lost or came close to losing were,' the source close to her said. In parliament in recent months, Mahmood has hosted dinners with small groups of Labour MPs interested in the reforms she is planning. Some on the backbenches have begun to see her as a future leader. 'If she ever put the hat in the ring, it would be because she wanted the debate to be rigorous and bold and she wanted to be the person who forced that kind of honesty,' the MP close to her said. 'But it tends to be the case that the people who propagate that kind of message don't win.'
The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Scottish Government urged to back RAAC homeowners' campaign
Now, Ms McAllan has agreed to meet with representatives of the UK RAAC Campaign Group. Dozens of affected properties have been identified in Clackmannanshire. (Image: Scott Barron) In a letter to the group's chair, Wilson Chowdhry, she wrote: 'I am planning to meet directly with affected homeowners, in areas with the highest number of privately owned RAAC-affected properties; to listen to their concerns and explore potential solutions. It is my intention that invitations to attend these meetings will be issued to residents, local campaign groups and elected representatives. 'My officials will shortly take forward work making the relevant arrangements - which will include arranging meetings with affected homeowners in Clackmannanshire and West Lothian Council areas. 'Noting your reference to these areas, I will ask my officials to inform you when dates for these respective meetings have been agreed and to liaise with you on a separate meeting with you, as representative of the UK RAAC Campaign Group, as part of a wider engagement process.' Speaking to The Herald, Mr Chowdhry said he was 'relieved' to finally receive a response from the Secretary, although he expressed "frustration" at the lengthy delay. He said: 'Families have been living in financial and emotional freefall for months, and every day of delay has deepened their hardship. I can only hope that the legislative changes I have submitted—including restoring first-time buyer status, ensuring capital-only repayments without interest for any outstanding mortgages on homes lost through no-fault safety concerns, and reforming the Homebuyer Report framework—will be seriously considered when delivered to the UK Government. Mr Chowdhry's daughter Hannah saw her Aberdeen home plunge in value, after she was informed that contained the crumbing concrete. This spurred the veteran campaigner to meet the crisis head on. Aberdeen City Council has announced plans to demolish the homes. (Image: Getty) He added: 'Legal reforms could also prevent future crises by placing a legal burden on developers and contractors to rectify safety defects in buildings they profited from, rather than leaving ordinary people to carry the cost.' 'I welcome the recognition of the work of the UK RAAC Campaign Group, and while the Housing Minister has offered us a private meeting, the First Minister must also attend. We will not simply be discussing the human impact of this debacle—which the Government should already be acutely aware of—but will be delving deep into concrete solutions. 'The First Minister has already expressed openness to such an engagement, and the reality is that these decisions must be taken at the very top of government.' Ms McAllan was criticised in July after the Press and Journal revealed she had yet to respond to a letter sent by Aberdeen City Council appealing for urgent aid from the Scottish Government, a month after it had been sent. Commenting at the time, North East MSP Liam Kerr said: 'Getting a fair deal for the people of Balnagask should be top of the agenda for the new housing minister. "It took a massive effort to get the SNP to focus on the plight of Scotland's RAAC victims. "In Aberdeen there is a golden opportunity to use a pot of money that is more than likely going to disappear, very soon.' A decade-long City Region Deal reached in 2016 is set to expire next year, with £20m yet to be spent. Campaigners have urged the government to release the funding before it expires. The RAAC campaign has also received support from Scottish Labour. Alloa and Grangemouth MP Brian Leishman plans to lodge a formal written petition to Parliament in September, calling on the government to provide support for affected communties. Read more: 'We hold the cards': residents hit out at 'measly' council RAAC payments Aberdeen City Council recommends demolition and rebuild of dangerous RAAC homes Aberdeen RAAC residents take their case direct to First Minister John Swinney A Scottish Government spokesperson confirmed Ms McAllan's plans to meet with campaigners. They said: 'We recognise this is a worrying time for homeowners affected by RAAC. The Scottish Government takes RAAC very seriously and we have established regular meetings with public and private sector bodies to ensure best practice is shared across sectors impacted by RAAC. The Cabinet Secretary looks forward to meeting with campaigners, including homeowners, to discuss their concerns. 'We have repeatedly called on the UK Government to make available a dedicated RAAC remediation fund but they have failed to do so. 'We are continuing to work with local authorities across Scotland as they respond to the impact of RAAC in their areas and we expect all social landlords to be engaging with their tenants and developing plans to remediate RAAC in their homes. The Scottish Government remains closely engaged in this work.'
The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
MP resigns as trade envoy over northern Cyprus visit
Mr Khan said the trip to the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is not recognised by the UK Government, was to visit his nephew and to receive an honorary degree. He said he had paid for the trip himself. Turkish troops have occupied the northern section of the Mediterranean island since 1974. Shadow foreign minister Wendy Morton told the BBC that she welcomed Mr Khan's resignation, but said Sir Keir Starmer should have sacked him earlier.
