§ Lord Taylor of Warwickasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are concerned that, although the official total capacity of prisons is 76,700, the prison population is now more than 74,000. [HL868]
§ Baroness Scotland of AsthalThe impact of population pressures is kept under careful review and we continue to investigate options for providing further increases in capacity over the coming years as part of the Government's modernisation strategy. There are currently a number of projects under way to increase the operational capacity of the prison estate.
Funding has been provided for around 3,000 additional public sector prison places to be built at existing prisons by 2006. Two new private sector prisons providing 1,290 places are also due to be opened at Ashford (near Heathrow) and Peterborough in June 2004 and March 2005 respectively. Together with building programmes in progress, and new accommodation such as 450 additional places at Birmingham, this will increase the total useable capacity of the prison estate to around 78,700 by 2006.
However, the Government are alert to the risk of a growing population and aim to minimise the effects through the provision of additional places and the reforms announced on 6 January in the Reducing Crime, Changing Lives document which aim to improve the management of offenders and reduce re-offending. Offenders for whom prison is the right penalty should continue to be sent to prison. But there are many offenders for whom tough non-custodial penalties will be more appropriate.