Number of prisoners in England and Wales hits record high

The prison population of England and Wales has hit a record high, with the number jumping by nearly a thousand in the past four weeks.

Some 88,350 people were in prison as of August 30, Ministry of Justice figures show.

This is up 116 from 88,234 a week ago and an increase of 988 from 87,362 four weeks ago on August 2.

It is the highest end-of-week figure since weekly population data was first published in 2011, according to analysis by the PA news agency.

It also surpasses the highest total ever recorded, which was 88,336 at end the February 2024, based on separate figures for the end-of-month population size.

The sharp rise in recent weeks is likely to have been driven by the number of jail sentences handed to people found guilty of taking part in the recent disorder across parts of the country.

The prison population in England and Wales has been rising for much of the past three years, having dropped as low as 77,727 in April 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Before the pandemic, the figure had been above 80,000 since December 2006.

In the aftermath of the summer 2011 riots, the number climbed as high as 88,179 on December 2 2011, before falling back in subsequent months.

Published: 30/08/2024 by Radio NewsHub