Our prisons are in crisis. They are overcrowded, inhumane and falling apart across England and Wales.
Overcrowding in jails creates problems at all points in the criminal justice system, meaning delays in getting justice for victims. In prisons overcrowding means less opportunities for training, education and employment, more time in cells, and an increase in assaults and self-harm. We have campaigned for changes to the criminal justice system to reduce the number of people in prison and reform the system to have a renewed focus on rehabilitation.
Overcrowding has been caused by a range of issues including:
Despite repeated warnings throughout the years, there has been little effort to reduce the prison population, causing it to more than double over the last 30 years.
Nacro have called for immediate action to be taken to reduce the prison population, as well as plans to address prison overcrowding in the long term. Learn more about what needs to be done to reduce overcrowding here.
Problems with overcrowding in prisons don’t just impact those within the criminal justice system but also wider society. Challenges associated with overcrowding are broad with consequences ranging from:
You can learn more about overcrowding and the problems it poses here
As part of our work in finding solutions to overcrowding in prisons, we bring together the stories from those who have experienced it.
“They kept moving me to 6 different cells. I was put in a cell with someone who was high risk, and they didn’t give him any warning, that really wound him up. He was telling me to get out, but I didn’t have anywhere go.”
As part of our five priorities for the Government in 2024, we are calling for the Government to develop a longer-term strategy for an effective and sustainable justice system, which puts victims at the heart of the issue, and better serves us all.
We have set out immediate steps we believe the Government should consider when tackling overcrowding in prisons, these include:
1. Reduce the flow of people going into prison
2. Reduce the numbers of people currently in prison
3. Increase the capacity of Probation to support these changes
You can learn more about the impact of these initiatives to reduce prison overcrowding from our blog: Immediate steps to reduce the prison population
Our justice services aim to break the cycle of crime and disadvantage in England and Wales. We believe that rehabilitation must be at the heart of an effective justice system. And that for people who enter the criminal justice system it should be the start of building something better, not a road to nowhere.
We work with people at every stage of the criminal justice system, from liaison and diversion services in police custody and courts, to resettlement into the community after prison.
Learn more about our work in prisons here.
We regular comment on the news and inform policymakers through our campaigns. You can see our highlights here.
We provide regular insight and expertise for policymakers and journalists. Our team regularly work with national, regional, local, and broadcast media outlets in relation to overcrowding in prisons.
If you’re looking for commentary or insight into policy needs, government decisions or developing stories, contact our Media team.
