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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Prisoner numbers at record high | Prisoner numbers at record high |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| The number of prison inmates in England and Wales has reached a record 82,319. | The number of prison inmates in England and Wales has reached a record 82,319. |
| The Prison Service announced the latest figure, up from the previous all-time high of 82,068, which was set in February 2008. | The Prison Service announced the latest figure, up from the previous all-time high of 82,068, which was set in February 2008. |
| A spokeswoman said the total included 12 inmates held in police stations under Operation Safeguard, a programme to tackle overcrowding. | A spokeswoman said the total included 12 inmates held in police stations under Operation Safeguard, a programme to tackle overcrowding. |
| In February Justice Secretary Jack Straw called on magistrates courts to use community punishments. | |
| 'High level' | |
| The prison population has risen dramatically since Christmas 2007, outstripping the number of new places becoming available. | The prison population has risen dramatically since Christmas 2007, outstripping the number of new places becoming available. |
| Prisoner numbers have gone up by nearly 600 in three weeks - equal to the population of an medium-sized jail. | |
| We are not complacent, and expect the pressure to continue for the time being Prison Service spokeswoman | |
| The figures come as the Prison Officers Association said that inmates are so comfortable in jail, they do not want to escape. | |
| Inmate capacity has increased by 1,000 since the start of March thanks to a prison-building programme, the spokeswoman said. | |
| "This means we are able to manage the current high level of the population more effectively, with little use of police cells under Operation Safeguard," she added. | |
| "However, we are not complacent, and expect the pressure to continue for the time being." | |
| The government has promised to provide 2,500 extra places in 2008. |