Prison numbers hit record high

Friday, 29 April 2005 12:00 AM

The UK's prison population has reached an all time high according to new figures.

There are now reported to be 75,550 inmates in the UK prison system, a figure that tops the previous high that was recorded in April 2004.

Although prisoner numbers had fallen since April 2004, over the last few months this trend has reversed, with the both the number of male inmates and prisoners serving long-term seeing a significant jump.

In addition to the recent short-term increase, the long-term prison population trend shows that UK prisons now cater for 10,000 extra prisoners than they did ten years ago.

Reasons to why the short-term increase has taken place include that fact that there are now increasing numbers of offenders being jailed for violence, criminal damage and arson.

However, according to the Home Office the prison system currently has enough spare capacity to deal with the rising levels in incarceration.

Nevertheless, campaigners for prison reform argue that overcrowding, a problem that they claim most prisons suffer from, limits rehabilitation.

Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said: "The Government must look for solutions outside the criminal justice system if it's serious about reducing prison numbers and reserve prison for serious and violent offenders only which is its stated policy.

"It has to divert petty offenders into mental health or drug treatment programmes that they so badly need."

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