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| Prisons reaching 'bursting point' | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Prisons in England and Wales are at "bursting point" with only 160 empty places left, say prison governors. | |
| Inmates are being moved around to find cells, said Charles Bushell, head of the Prison Governors Association. | |
| Home Secretary John Reid is meeting prison and immigration officials to discuss options including deporting some of the 10,000 foreign prisoners. | Home Secretary John Reid is meeting prison and immigration officials to discuss options including deporting some of the 10,000 foreign prisoners. |
| The Home Office said capacity is set to rise to 80,400 by the end of the year, with a further 8,000 places planned. | The Home Office said capacity is set to rise to 80,400 by the end of the year, with a further 8,000 places planned. |
| Early release | Early release |
| But Mr Bushell said jail conditions could not be "squeezed" any further to try to create more places, and the situation was "desperately bad". | |
| "The problem is that as you get fuller and fuller, more and more of your prisoners have to be whisked around the country," he said. | "The problem is that as you get fuller and fuller, more and more of your prisoners have to be whisked around the country," he said. |
| "And the problems that we have got in England and Wales are that we have now reached bursting point. | "And the problems that we have got in England and Wales are that we have now reached bursting point. |
| The facts and figures behind prisons in the UKIn detail | |
| "I have to say that those are replicated, as far as I'm aware, in Scotland and in Northern Ireland." | "I have to say that those are replicated, as far as I'm aware, in Scotland and in Northern Ireland." |
| Over the past 24 hours, the prison population had increased to more than 79,800, with room left for only 160 more inmates, he added. | |
| Mr Reid's meeting is with members of the National Offender Management Service and Immigration and Nationality Directorate. | |
| Other moves under consideration to ease the pressure on the system are the early release of prisoners and the use of about 500 police cells, known as Operation Safeguard. | |
| Prison Reform Trust director Juliet Lyon called for decisive action from the home secretary. | Prison Reform Trust director Juliet Lyon called for decisive action from the home secretary. |
| "Faced with a crisis largely caused by successive home secretaries talking tough but failing to come to grips with effective prison policy, John Reid must now act decisively to divert petty offenders into enforced community work, addicts into treatment and the mentally ill into healthcare," she said. | "Faced with a crisis largely caused by successive home secretaries talking tough but failing to come to grips with effective prison policy, John Reid must now act decisively to divert petty offenders into enforced community work, addicts into treatment and the mentally ill into healthcare," she said. |
| Children's Society policy director Kathy Evans described prison population figures as "shocking" following a 6% rise in 15 to 17-year-olds locked up over the last year. | Children's Society policy director Kathy Evans described prison population figures as "shocking" following a 6% rise in 15 to 17-year-olds locked up over the last year. |
| We believe that wherever possible, foreign nationals should serve their sentence in their country | We believe that wherever possible, foreign nationals should serve their sentence in their country |
| Home Office Options for easing the crisis | Home Office Options for easing the crisis |
| The Home Office said "all options are open" to try and reach its target limit of 72,669 prisoners. | |
| A spokesman said there were plans to build new prisons and expand existing ones through next year. | A spokesman said there were plans to build new prisons and expand existing ones through next year. |
| Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said the government had "got themselves into a cul-de-sac" over prison places. | Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said the government had "got themselves into a cul-de-sac" over prison places. |
| His Liberal Democrat counterpart Nick Clegg accused ministers of "inexcusable incompetence". | His Liberal Democrat counterpart Nick Clegg accused ministers of "inexcusable incompetence". |
| In August the POA warned of rising tensions at HMP Manchester, formerly Strangeways, where there was a 25-day riot in 1990. | In August the POA warned of rising tensions at HMP Manchester, formerly Strangeways, where there was a 25-day riot in 1990. |
| The prison was housing nearly 300 more inmates than recommended, said the POA. | The prison was housing nearly 300 more inmates than recommended, said the POA. |
| Have you been affected by any of the issues in this story? You can contact us using the form below: | Have you been affected by any of the issues in this story? You can contact us using the form below: |
| Name | Name |