Ministers are considering potential enhancements to security in men’s Category C and women’s prisons in response to an overcrowding crisis affecting facilities throughout England and Wales, according to sources from the Guardian.
Officials are looking into the possibility of redirecting prisoners who are either on remand or serving brief sentences away from Category B “reception” prisons, such as HMP Liverpool, Manchester, and Pentonville in north London.
Rather than relying solely on these facilities, they are evaluating the option of housing male inmates in alternative locations, including men’s training prisons or repurposed and unoccupied women’s facilities, contingent upon improvements to security measures.
This week, Andy Burnham urged Justice Secretary Alex Norris to formulate a strategy aimed at creating additional space in overcrowded prisons. This call to action follows mounting pressure on the newly formed government concerning the prevention of the early release of the individuals convicted in the case of PC Andrew Harper.
Government advisors have indicated that any transfer of prisoners from Category B to Category C or women’s prisons is permissible only if security conditions are adequately enhanced.
In total, there are 30 men’s reception prisons across England and Wales, often characterized by their Victorian architecture and significant overcrowding, which accommodates both remand and short-term inmates.
These facilities typically feature high walls, fences often topped with razor wire, barred windows, CCTV coverage, and controlled access points along with internal partitions.
Remand prisoners currently represent approximately 20% of the total prison population in England and Wales, a figure that has surged in recent years due to backlogs in the court system.
X-ray body scanners are in use at Category B local prisons, screening many incoming inmates for concealed contraband, including drugs, mobile phones, and weapons.
Nearly half of the 86,000 prisoners in England and Wales are housed in Category C facilities, which focus on preparing inmates for employment and reintegration into society.
Inmates in Category C prisons are classified as low to moderate security risks and are kept under “closed” conditions, lacking the high-security measures found in other facilities. Consequently, they undergo fewer body scans and searches.
For over a year, officials from the Ministry of Justice have been actively exploring alternatives to incarceration for female offenders.
However, experts have emphasized that any adaptation of a women’s prison to accommodate male inmates would necessitate significant security enhancements.
Mark Fairhurst, the national chair of the Prison Officers Association (POA), voiced concerns that upgrading the security of Category C or women’s prisons would be a lengthy process that may not resolve the ongoing crisis within the Prison Service in a timely manner.
He stated, “The Category C estate is currently facing space constraints due to delays in transferring appropriate prisoners from closed to open conditions. We must consider reducing the remand population to alleviate the ongoing struggle for cell availability.” He added that enhancing security in any facility is an extended process that may take more time than is available.
Andrew Neilson, director of campaigns at the Howard League for Penal Reform, expressed concerns that the challenges currently confronting Category C prisons are also prevalent in Category B facilities, which are similarly overcrowded and failing to rehabilitate inmates effectively.
He warned that implementing such plans could further blur the distinctions between prison categories, questioning whether the government is resigning itself to a lack of rehabilitative opportunities in facilities originally designed for that purpose.
Burnham has tasked Norris with developing strategies to free up space for serious offenders and expressed growing confidence that the perpetrators of PC Harper’s murder would not be granted early release.
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister was asked if he had any message for Aimee Harper, the sister of the police officer who was killed in the line of duty in 2019, who recounted her experience of being in the courtroom with his murderers. In response, Burnham stated, “I hear you, and I empathize with your situation. I would find it unacceptable to not do everything within my power to alleviate your distress, and I am committed to doing just that. I am thoroughly investigating all options and pushing the system for more.” He added, “This approach is how I conduct my responsibilities. I listen to constituents and continuously strive to push myself and the system to achieve more. I believe there are additional actions we can take.”
In a related development, the Estonian government has turned down a proposal, supported by Conservative and Reform UK parties, to accept UK prisoners to help mitigate the overcrowding situation.
Justice Minister Liisa Pakosta informed the BBC that Estonia would not lease prison cells to other countries while it is accommodating criminals from Sweden under a bilateral agreement at its partially filled Tartu prison.
Both the Conservatives and Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, have proposed utilizing foreign prison facilities, including those in Estonia, as a means to create additional space and prevent the early release of certain offenders in England and Wales.
The government led by Keir Starmer also investigated this option in 2024, but negotiations with Estonia did not yield any results.
