In a bold move to address the overcrowding crisis in prisons, the Labour Party has promised to deliver 14,000 additional prison places. The blame for the current state of the prison estate falls squarely on Conservative inaction, according to Labour shadow justice secretary Shabana Mahmood.
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Mahmood emphasised that Labour would designate prisons as “of national importance” from day one of their government. This designation would empower ministers to make planning decisions directly, bypassing the usual local authority process. The goal is to expedite the creation of 20,000 prison places, a much-needed relief for the overcrowded system.