In response to mounting pressure on prison capacity, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk has outlined a series of reforms aimed at addressing overcrowding in British prisons. The government’s plans include sending fewer “low-level offenders” to prison and exploring the option of holding prisoners overseas, a strategy already implemented by Belgium and Norway.
The move comes as concerns about overcrowding in English and Welsh prisons continue to escalate, with the current inmate population reaching 88,225. Despite the removal of over 3,100 foreign criminals in the year to March, 10,500 remain incarcerated in England and Wales.
Under the proposed reforms, foreign offenders will be removed earlier in their sentences, with an increased deployment of caseworkers to expedite the removal process. The government aims to bring forward the removal of foreign criminals by six months, a measure anticipated to save £70,000 per prisoner.
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk emphasised the need for foreign criminals to face consequences but questioned the financial burden on taxpayers, stating, “It’s right that foreign criminals are punished, but it cannot be right that some are sat in prison costing taxpayers £47,000 a year when they could be deported.”
The government is also considering additional measures to swiftly remove foreign offenders convicted of less serious offences, along with introducing conditions to prohibit their return to the UK.
In response to the announcement, Shadow Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood criticized the government’s track record, pointing out a 40% decline in the removal of foreign national offenders since 2010. Describing the plan as “half-baked,” Mahmood urged the Tories to address the rising number of foreign offenders in the prison system. Labour proposed an alternative solution, including recruiting 1,000 more staff for a new returns unit in the Home Office, funded by ending the use of costly hotels for housing asylum seekers.
More news from Wales
