Written question asked by Claire Curtis-Thomas (Labour) on Thursday, 15 January 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 9 February 2004. It was answered by Paul Goggins (Labour) on Monday, 9 February 2004 on behalf of the Home Office.

Home Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures are in place to ease the problem of prison overcrowding. - Inc figures and ref to 'Reducing Crime-Changing Lives'.

Answer: Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are in place to ease the problem of prison overcrowding. [148891] Paul Goggins: Funding has been provided for around 3,000 additional public sector prison places to be built at existing prisons by 2006. Two new private sector prisons providing 1,290 places are also due to be opened at Ashford (near Heathrow) and Peterborough in June 2004 and March 2005 respectively. This will increase the total useable capacity of the prison estate to around 78,700 by 2006. On the 6 January a radical reform of the management of offenders was announced with the publication of the document `Reducing Crime-Changing Lives'. The overriding purpose of the reforms is to improve the management of offenders and reduce re-offending. Offenders for whom prison is the right penalty will continue to be sent to prison. But there are many offenders for whom tough non-custodial penalties will be more appropriate. Our proposals will provide sentencers with a full range of penalties and advice on what is most likely to be effective in reducing re- offending in particular circumstances.

Secondary information