Ministers are reportedly considering a security upgrade for men's category C and women's prisons in England and Wales. This move aims to address an overcrowding crisis across the prison estate, according to reports.
Officials have explored diverting prisoners on remand or serving short sentences from category B "reception" prisons, which include HMPs Liverpool, Manchester, and Pentonville. Instead, they are assessing the possibility of holding these male prisoners in alternative sites, such as men's training prisons or repurposed women's jails, following security improvements.
Justice Secretary Alex Norris was asked by Andy Burnham this week to provide a plan to create more space in overcrowded jails. Ministers have been advised that moving prisoners from category B to category C or women's prisons would require improved security.
Mark Fairhurst, national chair of the prison officers union, the POA, expressed concerns that converting the security of category C or women's prisons would take too long to alleviate the current crisis facing the Prison Service. Andrew Neilson, director of campaigns at the Howard League for Penal Reform, also voiced concern that the plan could further erode the distinction between prison categories.
In a separate development, the Estonian government has rejected a proposal to house UK prisoners to help ease overcrowding. Justice minister Liisa Pakosta stated that Estonia would not rent jail cells to other countries while it is housing criminals from Sweden.