Prison estate capacity

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 31 Oct 2024 Closed: 16 May 2025 Parliament page
The prison population was 87,538 people at the end of January 2024, with many adult male prisoners being held in cells designed for fewer occupants. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) committed to providing 20,000 additional prison places by the mid-2020s, deriving from a … Read more
9 Recommendations
19 Conclusions
1 Report
1 Oral session
3 Letters
1 Event
Activity timeline 7 events
4 Sep
2025
Correspondence
7 Jul
2025
Correspondence
16 May
2025
Report published
31 Mar
2025
Correspondence
14 Mar
2025
Report published
27 Jan
2025
Oral evidence
27 Jan
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Oral evidence sessions 1 session
27 Jan 2025
View on parliament.uk
Amy Rees · HMPPS Dame Antonia Romeo DCB · Ministry of Justice Jim Barton · HM Prisons and Probation Service Ross Gribbin · Ministry of Justice
Title HC No. Published Items Response
15th Report - Prison estate capacity HC 366 14 Mar 2025 28 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
5 results
Clear
14 Recommendation Deferred
15th Report - Prison estate capaci…
Ministry of Justice relies on independent sentencing review to manage future prison capacity
MoJ confirmed that it is relying on the Government’s response to the sentencing review to help it manage the expected gap between capacity and demand.46 Given its forecasts suggest it could run out of places again in early 2026, we … Read more
Government Response
HMPPS will provide an update within two months of the publication of the next phase of the Sentencing Review in spring 2025, detailing the impact on the forecast prison place shortage and any further mitigation required, as well as reporting on the maintenance backlog.
HM Treasury
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17 Recommendation Deferred
15th Report - Prison estate capaci…
Probation services already operating at 102% capacity, unable to absorb additional workload
HMPPS told us that probation officers and probation services officers were already dealing with a workload equivalent to 102% of capacity.60 We raised the potential impact on probation services if the sentencing review recommends alternatives to custody, possibly requiring more … Read more
Government Response
HMPPS will provide an update within two months of the publication of the next phase of the Sentencing Review in spring 2025, detailing the impact on the forecast prison place shortage and any further mitigation required, as well as reporting on the maintenance backlog.
HM Treasury
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24 Recommendation Deferred
15th Report - Prison estate capaci…
Overcrowding negatively impacts prison education and pre-release services, hindering reintegration efforts
We also received evidence on how the crisis has impacted education and pre–release services. For example, the Prisoners’ Education Trust told us that overcrowding means education departments in prisons are unlikely to have the capacity needed, and prisoners are more … Read more
Government Response
The MoJ will provide an update to the Committee on plans to improve the rehabilitative environment in prisons, the implications for probation and community support, and how the impact of changes will be monitored and evaluated, two months after the Independent Sentence Review publishes its final report.
HM Treasury
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27 Conclusion Deferred
15th Report - Prison estate capaci…
Prison capacity crisis significantly strains probation services, exacerbating staffing shortages and rising demand
MoJ and HMPPS told us that the impact of the prison capacity crisis on probation is “significant” and “rising” with pressures likely to increase further if Ministers make decisions to decrease the prison population.88 In September 2024, HMPPS had 5,413 … Read more
Government Response
The government will provide an update to the Committee two months after the Independent Sentence Review publishes its final report on plans to improve the rehabilitative environment in prisons, the implications for probation and community support, and how the impact of changes will be monitored and evaluated.
HM Treasury
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28 Recommendation Deferred
15th Report - Prison estate capaci…
Probation Service faces severe strain, requiring prioritisation if offender volumes increase
MoJ assured us that it models the impact of any demand and supply measures on staffing levels and has governance structures in place to ensure the system can cope with proposed changes.93 However, HMPPS 84 Ministry of Justice, Economic and … Read more
Government Response
The government will provide an update to the Committee two months after the Independent Sentence Review publishes its final report on plans to improve the rehabilitative environment in prisons, the implications for probation and community support, and how the impact of changes will be monitored and evaluated.
HM Treasury
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Government Response AI assessment · 27 of 9 classified
Accepted 18
Acknowledged 1
Deferred 5
Not Addressed 1
Rejected 2
Total 9 recs + 19 conclusions
Correspondence 3 letters
4 Sep 2025 To committee Letter from the Chief Executive of HM Prison and Probation Service relating to the 15th Report of Session 2024-25, Prison estate capacity, recommendations 3b and 6, 21 July 2025
Parliament page
7 Jul 2025 From committee Letter to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice relating to the follow up on responses to the Committee's reports on Crown Court backlogs and Prison estate capacity, 30 June 2025
Parliament page
31 Mar 2025 From committee Letter to the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice relating to HMP Dartmoor, 24 March 2025
Parliament page