London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 24, 2025

England and Wales to get extra 4,000 prison places in record expansion

England and Wales to get extra 4,000 prison places in record expansion

Plan unveiled by Dominic Raab could take prisoner total to highest ever at more than 100,000 by mid-2020s

Dominic Raab has announced the creation of 4,000 new prison places in England and Wales, as the government plans for an increase of almost 25% that could take the prison population to an all-time high.

There were 79,765 prisoners in England and Wales in the week ending 11 February, according to Ministry of Justice figures, while the maximum capacity in the system was 81,368.

The latest announcement of 4,000 new places, which will include extending or refurbishing 16 prisons, is part of a plan to provide 20,000 “innovative” new prison places by the mid-2020s.

If all these were taken up, it would push the prison population to its highest ever level, above 100,000. The previous peak was 88,000 in November 2011.

Prisons being extended or refurbished as part of the new announcement include Birmingham, Liverpool and Norwich. Projects have already been completed at four other prisons, including Feltham and Aylesbury.

The Ministry of Justice is also planning to build six new prisons – with the department stressing the benefits for the local economy in terms of job creation.

Raab, the justice secretary, said: “Our prison-building programme will deliver an extra 20,000 prison places by the mid-2020s to punish offenders, deter crime and protect the public.

“We are also overhauling the prison regime, using prison design, in-cell technology, abstinence-based drug rehabilitation and work to drive down re-offending.”

But the Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson, Alistair Carmichael, said the drive to build new prison places was an admission of failure.

“The UK already has more people in prison than any other country in western Europe, and now the government is spending an extra £4bn because crime is rising,” he said.

Peter Dawson, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said: “Endlessly making the same announcement about building new prison spaces is not going to solve the chronic failure of our prison system. For 30 years overcrowding and the continued use of prisons built in the 19th century have made a mockery of promises of reform. Nothing in the government’s plans changes that.”

The government was censured by the Statistics Authority earlier this month, for misleadingly claiming that crime has been falling. Boris Johnson and Priti Patel, the home secretary, had both said crime had fallen by 14%. The figures refer to the period September 2019 to September 2021, but exclude fraud and computer misuse. Once these are included, crime actually increased over the period.

Comments

AndyPep 4 year ago
20 thousand new prison beds all of the Communist infiltrators of the past 30 years. A lot of people haven't slept well for two years and they won't for the next two either. Even the media "journalists"/propagandists who did what they were told even if it meant people would die will be in those cells too. They knew Hydroxychloroquine and Ivermectin would save thousands of lives because 70 years and billions of doses showed how safe it was. Karma is real anyway. Those that escape prison will know what they did to ensure their easy ride stayed easy.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
×