Prisons in England and Wales are approaching full capacity, with sources saying available spaces in the male estate have dropped to their lowest level of the year.
The pressure on prison places comes as the justice secretary prepares to set out further information in the House of Commons about an early-release scheme intended to free up capacity by releasing some inmates sooner than would otherwise have been the case.
The reported fall in available spaces in male prisons highlights the immediate strain on the prison system in England and Wales. While the source material does not provide a precise number of remaining places, it indicates that the level has reached its lowest point so far this year.
The government’s planned update to MPs is expected to focus on the scheme designed to relieve overcrowding by reducing the number of prisoners held in custody. The measure is being presented in the context of jails nearing maximum capacity.
No further operational details, eligibility rules or figures for the early-release scheme were included in the supplied material. The latest known position is that ministers are preparing to give more detail in the Commons as the prison estate faces intensifying capacity pressures.
