Overview

• Dame Anne Owers’s report confirms that overcrowding brought the prison network within days of full collapse on three occasions between autumn 2023 and summer 2024.
• The review criticises Conservative ministers for delaying early-release approvals until prisons were three days from breakdown despite warnings from Justice Secretary Alex Chalk and senior officials.
• More than 13,000 inmates were released early during the crisis and a COBRA meeting was convened when spare capacity fell below 100 cells, with officials auditing every key decision in case of a public inquiry.
• The Labour government has implemented a structured early-release policy and opened 2,400 new cells, aiming to expand capacity by 14,000 places over the next decade.
• The report urges establishment of independent oversight, integrated offender management, and sustained investment in probation and community services to prevent future capacity crises.