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| Prisons full with record numbers | Prisons full with record numbers |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Prisons in England and Wales have hit a new record population, exceeding their normal capacity for the first time, officials have confirmed. | Prisons in England and Wales have hit a new record population, exceeding their normal capacity for the first time, officials have confirmed. |
| The Ministry of Justice said that as of Friday morning there were 82,068 inmates in jails - 96 over the Prison Service's normal operational capacity. | The Ministry of Justice said that as of Friday morning there were 82,068 inmates in jails - 96 over the Prison Service's normal operational capacity. |
| Justice Secretary Jack Straw has asked magistrates to jail fewer people while officials attempt to manage the crisis. | Justice Secretary Jack Straw has asked magistrates to jail fewer people while officials attempt to manage the crisis. |
| Some 358 inmates are in police or court cells in an attempt to ease pressures. | Some 358 inmates are in police or court cells in an attempt to ease pressures. |
| According to the latest figures from the Ministry of Justice the population breached its current capacity of 81,972 on Thursday evening. | |
| The breach comes despite a year of efforts to reduce pressures by releasing more prisoners and building more cells. | |
| 'Control and security' | |
| The figures mean that for the first time the Prison Service has almost 100 more inmates in jail than the numbers governors would want to hold. | |
| This maximum is based on governors' advice over "control, security and proper operation". | |
| There are 2,000 additional spaces within the system above this maximum - but these are not normally used because of constraints, including where beds become available and the need to keep dangerous prisoners separate. | |
| A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said that it took its responsibilities towards the safety and security of prisoners "extremely seriously". | |
| "No prison will be expected to operate at a level of crowding beyond that certified by the Prison Service area manager (or regional offender manager in the case of a contracted prison). | |
| "As far as possible we do not hold vulnerable prisoners in police cells under Operation Safeguard. This includes prisoners identified as being current risk of suicide or self-harm." | |
| "Whilst we have gone above our useable operational capacity, this does not mean that the estate is entirely full - it is possible to use some of the places from within our operating margin." |