The UK government has reactivated Operation Safeguard, a contingency plan that allows police cells to be used for holding prisoners, as jails in England and Wales reach critical levels of overcrowding.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood confirmed that the prison system is operating at more than 99% capacity, with only 824 available spaces left in adult male prisons as of Monday. The total prison population now stands at 87,556, the highest in six months.
Record Prison Numbers Trigger Emergency Response
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) reports that the current prison population is approaching the record 88,521 inmates seen in September 2023, which led to the first wave of early releases aimed at reducing overcrowding.
Mahmood highlighted that January saw the highest monthly rise in prisoner numbers in nearly two years, putting immense strain on the prison estate.
Police Cells to Hold Overflow Prisoners
With prisons nearly full, the government has reinstated Operation Safeguard, a measure previously used in February 2023 and deactivated last October.
Up to 200 police cells will now be made available daily to hold prisoners temporarily overnight or for a full day until space in jails becomes available.
Mahmood explained that these measures are necessary due to the rising number of “no-space lockouts”, where prisons have been unable to accept new inmates. On March 10, a record 124 such incidents occurred, far exceeding normal levels.
New Prisons Coming, But Capacity Issues Remain
Despite efforts to expand the prison system, capacity will remain tight in the coming months. The government has recently opened a 458-bed houseblock at HMP Rye Hill in Warwickshire, and a new 1,500-space prison, HMP Millsike, is set to open in North Yorkshire.
However, Mahmood cautioned that these additions will not immediately solve the crisis, as demand for prison spaces continues to rise.
Long-Term Solutions to Tackle Overcrowding
The government has pledged to create 14,000 new prison spaces by 2031, alongside exploring alternatives to imprisonment. An independent sentencing review is expected this spring, which will assess harsher non-custodial penalties as a way to ease pressure on the prison system.
Officials previously believed that the early release scheme, which began last year, would provide enough capacity until at least autumn 2025. However, the rapid rise in inmate numbers suggests that further emergency measures may be required.
