Overview
- MPs report severe overcrowding, chronic staff shortages and deteriorating conditions that leave many inmates locked in cells for 22 hours or more, alongside a £1.8 billion maintenance backlog.
- Half of prisoners are not engaged in education or work in custody and two thirds are not in education or employment six months after release, with many prisons rated poorly by Ofsted.
- Young Offender Institutions are routinely missing the statutory minimum of 15 hours of education per week, raising concerns about long‑term rehabilitation prospects.
- The Ministry of Justice confirms 91 mistaken releases between April 1 and October 31, with three prisoners still at large as process failures draw scrutiny.
- Ministers cite plans to build 14,000 new places, reform sentencing and invest in maintenance, while MPs, unions and charities press for immediate improvements to staffing and purposeful activity.