The UK’s prison system expansion programme has effectively been delayed thanks to the Tories. That’s the conclusion of a new, government-backed report. However, when the system is sending Just Stop Oil and Palestine Action activists to jail, as well as incarcerating people for tiny offenses and detaining people as so-called IPPs – is it any wonder?
The NAO report: damning for the UK prison system
HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) is the executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) responsible for managing the prison service in England and Wales. The NAO last reported on the prison estate in 2020. It concluded that HMPPS was failing to meet its aims of providing a safe, secure and decent prison estate.
HMPPS was also facing a significant challenge to meet its commitment to deliver 13,400 additional prison places. The NAO highlighted that MoJ and HMPPS needed to resist taking a reactive approach to capacity pressures and to instead work with HM Treasury produce a long-term strategy to deliver a prison estate fit for purpose.
Since then, MoJ has increased the scale of its prison expansion plans from 13,400 to 20,000 additional places by the mid-2020s in response to projected increases in demand. HMPPS is delivering the additional places through a portfolio of prison capacity programmes (prison expansion portfolio), which includes a mix of building new prisons, expanding and refurbishing existing prisons, and installing temporary accommodation.
HMPPS has delivered 6,518 additional places between 2020 and September 2024, 278 of which are from additional crowding at four private prisons. Despite this, the prison estate has been operating at close to full capacity since autumn 2022, with many prisons severely crowded.
If prisons reach full capacity, there would be significant impacts on the wider criminal justice system. For example, courts would not be able to try cases where suspects may be given prison sentences. MoJ and HMPPS have had to implement various emergency measures, such as releasing prisoners early, to ensure that the criminal justice system continues to function.
Damning for the Tories
However, the NAO slammed what has happened since then – largely thanks to the Tories.
The current crisis in the prison estate is a consequence of previous governments’ failure to align criminal justice policies with funding for the prison estate, leading to reactive solutions which represent poor value for money. Policies such as introducing tougher sentences and increasing the number of police officers led to steep increases in expected demand for prison places. However, years of under-investment in maintaining the prison estate put MoJ and HMPPS in a weak position to respond to these increases.
HMPPS has therefore taken a reactive and expensive approach focused on building new places urgently at increased cost. Until there is greater coherence between the government’s wider policy agenda and funding for its prison estate, the current crisis position will not represent value for money.
HMPPS’s expansion plan was unrealistic and was not prioritised by the government, with resulting delays that have exacerbated the current crisis. MoJ’s central projection scenario shows demand for spaces exceeding capacity by 12,400 places by the end of 2027, even if current expansion projects are delivered to revised timelines.
Of course, when you lock up minor criminals on top of having successive out-of-control Tory governments – then this is what happens.
Stop locking people up in prison?
Instead of incarcerating people for small ‘offenses’, maybe government should consider alternatives.
Prison is an expensive response to minor offenses. Housing, feeding, and providing healthcare for inmates place a significant financial burden on public funds Studies show that alternative approaches, such as community service, probation, or fines, are far less costly while still holding offenders accountable. Redirecting resources from incarceration to rehabilitation programs or public services can yield greater societal benefits.
Prisons often expose individuals to an environment that fosters criminal behavior rather than deterring it. Minor offenders may interact with hardened criminals, leading to increased recidivism. Additionally, incarceration can disrupt employment, education, and family ties, leaving offenders worse off and less likely to reintegrate successfully into society upon release.
Research indicates that marginalised and racialised communities are disproportionately affected by incarceration for minor offenses. This perpetuates systemic inequalities and undermines trust in the justice system. Alternatives to prison can reduce these disparities and promote fairness.
Alternatives to incarceration, such as restorative justice programs, community service, and electronic monitoring, have shown promise in reducing recidivism rates and addressing the root causes of criminal behavior. These approaches focus on rehabilitation and making amends, fostering a more constructive resolution for offenders, victims, and society.
The UK prison system expansion: stop that, too
Overall, though, if government actually addressed the main driver of what the state calls ‘criminality’ – that is, rampant inequality, capitalism, and a society built on greed and envy – then maybe the need for prisons would evaporate altogether?
However, until such time then we have to work with what we have.
Sending individuals who commit minor offenses to prison often creates more problems than it solves. By focusing on alternative approaches that prioritise accountability, fairness, and rehabilitation, the justice system can promote public safety while reducing costs and inequities.
Reforming the approach to minor offenses is a crucial step toward a more effective and equitable criminal justice system. Oh, and so is ending the incarceration of peaceful protesters like those from Just Stop Oil and Palestine Action, too.
Featured image via Andy Aitchison
