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Prisons set to hit full capacity Prisons set to hit full capacity
(about 2 hours later)
Prisons in England and Wales are set to be full by next week with room for only about 200 more inmates left. Prisons in England and Wales are set to be full by next week with room for only about 200 prisoners left.
At the present rate of increase in the prison population, jails will reach the full capacity of 80,000. At the present rate the current figure of 79,754 inmates is on course to reach the planned capacity of over 79,900.
Options which have been proposed to alleviate the situation include early prisoner releases and deporting some foreign inmates. Home Secretary John Reid is meeting prison and immigration officials to discuss options including deporting some of the 10,000 foreign prisoners.
About 500 police cells may also be used to house prisoners in a strategy called Operation Safeguard. 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 Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) said the plan is in place but has not yet been activated. Early release
Release plans Mr Reid will meet members of the National Offender Management Service and immigration officials.
Other moves under consideration are the early release of prisoners and the use of about 500 police cells, known as Operation Safeguard.
The facts and figures behind prisons in the UKIn detail
The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) confirmed the cells plan is in place but has not yet been activated.
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.
href="/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/06/uk_prisons_in_the_uk/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/06/uk_prisons_in_the_uk/html/1.stm', '1144060400', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=500,height=400,left=312,top=100'); return false;">The facts and figures behind prisons in the UK href="/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/06/uk_prisons_in_the_uk/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/06/uk_prisons_in_the_uk/html/1.stm', '1144060400', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=500,height=400,left=312,top=100'); return false;" >In detail New prisons
"Everyone knows that an overcrowded jail can do little or nothing to prevent the next victim." The Home Office said "all options are open" to deal with prison overcrowding.
The Home Office denied suggestions that Mr Reid was to meet Prison Service chief Phil Wheatley over the overcrowding situation. A spokesman said there were plans to build new prisons and expand existing ones through next year.
In August the Prison Officers' Association (POA) warned of rising tensions at HMP Manchester, formerly Strangeways, where there was a 25-day riot in 1990.In August the Prison Officers' Association (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.
It was also reported in August that the Home Office was also drawing up plans to release thousands of prisoners 10 days early to free up cells.It was also reported in August that the Home Office was also drawing up plans to release thousands of prisoners 10 days early to free up cells.
Edward Leigh, head of the Commons' Public Accounts Committee, has called for more of the 10,000 foreign prisoners in the jails to be deported. Edward Leigh, head of the Commons Public Accounts Committee, has called for more foreign prisoners to be deported.