Latest news with #prisonpopulation
RNZ News
a day ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Prison population projected to boom over next decade
The figures are based on more offenders receiving longer prison sentences. Photo: Finn Blackwell New Zealand's prison population is expected to increase by 36 percent over the next decade. The Ministry of Justice projects there will be 14,230 prisoners in June 2035, up from 10,488 in February 2025. The projections take into account government policies like the reinstatement of 'Three Strikes', and reforms to cap sentencing discounts and introduce more aggravating factors. Last year's report, which projected a prison population of 11,317 by June 2034, did not take into account those policies, as they had not yet been passed into law. "The new policy settings are expected to see more offenders receive prison sentences and for those sentences to be longer," said ministry sector insights general manager Rebecca Parish. The projected increase takes into account both the remand and sentenced populations. The number of those on remand is projected to increase steadily over the time period. The sentenced population is expected to increase rapidly until June 2028 and then gradually by June 2035. Those on remand have spent longer on remand, due to their cases taking longer to go through the courts, but Parish said initiatives were underway to reduce the time taken to resolve cases and the time spent in custodial remand. The ministry said it released these reports to evaluate long-term trends, and help inform investment, planning and policy decisions. The report was done in collaboration with Corrections, Police, Crown Law and the Serious Fraud Office. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
The Sun
14-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Prisons will run out of space in just 5 MONTHS as government unveils raft of new measures to tackle overcrowding crisis
JAIL FEARS 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. 3 3 3 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'. Mahmood announced that those serving sentences between one and four years will only be recalled for a 28-day period. 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% 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. The UK will run out of prison spaces entirely by November of this year, Amy Rees, interim permanent secretary to the Ministry of Justice said today. The population of prisoners has been rising by about 3,000 each year - the equivalent of two new prisons full. The Government has today a raft of new measures to tackle prison overcrowding with jails on the brink of collapse AGAIN despite thousands getting early release. Shabana Mahmood has set out a stop-gap solution afternoon as the country's jails are once again at 99 per cent capacity. 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. 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. 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.
CBS News
08-05-2025
- CBS News
Michigan's prison population continues to decline, officials say
New data released by the Michigan Department of Corrections showed that the prison population continues to decline. According to the report, the population in 2024 was 32,778, a sharp decline from 51,554 in 2007. Officials predict that the population will continue to decrease by the end of 2029. "These tremendous figures prove the impact MDOC is having on enhancing public safety in our communities," Russ Marlan, MDOC deputy director of field operations administration, said in a statement. "What we are doing is working — implementing evidence-based practices and focusing on helping people become successful contributors to society is the best way to improve public safety in the long-term." The report says a decline in the number of people sent to prison for violating probation or parole contributed to the population decrease. The parole population has decreased by 60% since 2009, while the probation population has decreased by nearly 46% since 2010. Officials say the decline in prison intake decreased after it increased for three consecutive years due to the recovery following the pandemic. Additionally, officials say the recidivism rate, which measures the number of people returning to prison within three years, was at 22.7%, making it th second lowest rate in the state's history. "This has happened in tandem with increased moves to parole, which increased 5.7% from 2023 to 2024. This illustrates that while the Parole Board has granted more requests for parole, reentry efforts have been increasingly successful as the overall population continues to stay historically low," MDOC said in a news release.
