This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk/8640399.stm
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Prison numbers reach record high | Prison numbers reach record high |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| The prison population in England and Wales has reached a record high, exceeding 85,000 for the first time. | The prison population in England and Wales has reached a record high, exceeding 85,000 for the first time. |
| There are currently 85,076 inmates, compared with 84,897 in March. If the rise continues at that rate, the total will surpass 85,700 by the end of June. | There are currently 85,076 inmates, compared with 84,897 in March. If the rise continues at that rate, the total will surpass 85,700 by the end of June. |
| But there are still 2,000 places left in the "useable" capacity of 87,196. | But there are still 2,000 places left in the "useable" capacity of 87,196. |
| The increase is likely to be partly due to the phasing out of the early release scheme, which allowed some inmates to be let out 18 days early until 9 April. | The increase is likely to be partly due to the phasing out of the early release scheme, which allowed some inmates to be let out 18 days early until 9 April. |
| Prison chiefs began using the scheme in June 2007 amid rising prisoner numbers. | |
| Between then and February 2010, about 80,000 inmates - serving up to four years for a range of less serious offences - have been freed early. | |
| In February, Justice Secretary Jack Straw announced the scheme would start being phased out from 12 March 2010. | |
| Mr Straw told MPs that there were now enough spare places in the prison system to mean it was no longer necessary to consider any prisoners for the scheme. | |
| At the time, he said the prison service was on track to have 96,000 spaces available by 2014 because of the current building programme. | |
| BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said the figures showed the prison population in England and Wales had gone up by about 24,000 since Labour came to office in 1997. |