Prison staff told not to use inadequate cells as overcrowding worsens
Workers tell BBC they are increasingly having to put two inmates in single occupancy cells because of overcrowding.
Prison governors in England and Wales have been instructed not to use substandard cells to address the escalating issue of overcrowding, as revealed by documents leaked to the BBC. The Prison Governors Association (PGA) sent a six-page letter to its members, emphasizing the importance of adhering to the law and ensuring cells meet health and safety standards, as well as being suitable for the number of inmates housed.
Prison staff confirmed they are increasingly having to cram two inmates into single cells due to the worsening overcrowding in the adult male estate. While it is not ideal to house two prisoners in cells designed for one, the pressure is on to maintain operational capacity. One governor stated that some cells have issues with heating or plumbing and prisoners should not be placed there.
The Ministry of Justice acknowledged that cells are only doubled up when it is safe to do so, as per legal requirements under the Prisons Act 1952, the Prison Rules, and the Young Offender Institution Rules. However, prison staff expressed concerns that the government is putting pressure on prison management to take more inmates than they can reasonably accommodate, potentially compromising health and safety.
The operational capacity of a prison is ultimately decided by the Prison Group Director (PGD), who considers the total number of inmates a prison can hold, including control and security factors. The male adult prison estate is currently at 98.5% capacity, with only a handful of spaces remaining. Some prisons, particularly older Victorian jails, can house more than 1,000 inmates, while others may have a population in the low hundreds.
Former prison governor John Podmore criticized the situation, stating that it is fundamentally unfair for governors to deal with a penal crisis they did not create. The prison system is also quietly returning thousands of inmates to prison through recall. The government plans to release around 4,500 offenders early over a ten-month period to alleviate the overcrowding issue.
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