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Latest prison population figures for 2023.

Latest prison population figures for 2020.

The latest National Statistics on prison population projections in England and Wales.

This annual release presents prison population projections for England and Wales from November 2022 to March 2027. It is produced to aid policy development, capacity planning and resource allocation within the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). Sub-population estimates are presented alongside the effects of legislation, sentencing activity, and other factors relevant to the prison population.

The publication is released by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and produced in accordance with arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority.

If you have any comments on the methods used for prison projections, please contact us: ESD@justice.gov.uk.

The latest National Statistics on prison population projections in England and Wales.

This annual release presents prison population projections for England and Wales from July 2021 to March 2026. It is produced to aid policy development, capacity planning and resource allocation within the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). Sub-population estimates are presented alongside the effects of legislation, sentencing activity, and other factors relevant to the prison population.

The publication is released by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and produced in accordance with arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority.

If you have any comments on the methods used for prison projections, please contact us: ESD@justice.gov.uk.

The latest National Statistics on prison population projections.

This annual release gives the projected monthly prison population in England and Wales. Sub-population estimates are presented alongside the effects of legislation, sentencing activity, and other factors relevant to the prison population.

The publication is released by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and produced in accordance with arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority.

If you have any comments on the methods used for prison projections, please contact us: email.

Introduction

This publication provides key statistics relating to offenders who are in prison or under Probation Service supervision. It covers flows into these services (receptions into prison or probation starts) and flows out (discharges from prison or probation terminations) as well as the caseload of both services at specific points in time. Latest figures for the quarter July to September 2013 are provided compared to the same period in 2012 for each topic as well as reference to longer term trends, with the exception of the prison population where more recent data is available (31 December 2013).

The contents of the report will be of interest to the public, government policy makers, the agencies responsible for offender management at both national and local levels, and others who want to understand more about the prison population, probation caseload, licence recalls and returns to custody.

Prison population

The prison population grew rapidly between 1993 to 2008 – an average of 4% a year. This rapid rise was driven by:

• Increased numbers of people sentenced to immediate custody from 1993 to 2002.
• Increases in the average custodial sentence length and increased use of indeterminate sentences.
• Increase in numbers recalled to prison following breaches of the conditions of licence and these offenders spending longer in prison once recalled.

The rise in the prison population slowed considerably from the summer of 2008, in part due to the introduction of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act (CJIA) 2008, which changed sentencing and offender management in ways which helped to reduce growth in the prison population. For more information, see http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2008/4/contents" class="govuk-link">CJIA 2008.

This flatter trend continued until the public disorder seen in UK cities from 6 to 9 August 2011 which had an immediate but temporary impact on the prison population. During 2012 and into 2013, the prison population began to fall due to a falling remand population and a continued decline in the number of under 18s in custody. The falling remand population during 2012 reflected falling volumes going through the courts plus the introduction, in December 2012, of measures restricting the use of remand for offenders who would be unlikely to receive a custodial sentence .

In the second half of 2013 the prison population increased, due to a relatively large rise in the remand population which may have been the result of changes to court committals.

The ‘Story of the Prison Population 1993 to 2012’ is an in-depth look at what happened to the prison population between 1993 and 2012 and the major factors contributing to the changes.

The prison population at 31 December 2013 was 84,163, an increase of 406 (less than 1%) compared to 31 December 2012 when the total population was 83,757.

At 31 December 2013, there were:

• 80,356 males in prison - a rise of 1% over the year
• 3,807 females in prison - a fall of 3% over the year

The overall small rise in the total prison population over the last year was due to an increase in the remand population whilst the sentenced population fell.

The remand population increased by 6%, driven entirely by an increase in the untried population (up 8%), while the convicted unsentenced population remained fairly stable. However, within the year-on-year increase there were some changing trends during the year. The remand population had fallen throughout much of 2012 reflecting falling volumes going through the courts. This continued into 2013 following the introduction, in December 2012, of measures restricting the use of remand for offenders who would be unlikely to receive a custodial sentence. By February 2013, the full impact of these measures had been realised and the remand population then remained relatively stable until the end of August 2013 when it began to rise. It continued to rise until mid November, with this temporary rise thought to be the result of changes to court committals.

The sentenced population fell by 1% over the last year due to the continued fall in the number of young offenders (aged under 21) in custody - young adults (aged 18-20) were down 14% and 15-17 year olds down 21%. The sentenced adult (age 21+) population remained relatively stable.

Although the overall adult sentenced population remained stable, the numbers serving long determinate sentences of 4 years or more continued to rise (up 4% from 24,462 to 25,470), while those serving 12 months to 4 year sentences fell by 2%.

Nearly two-thirds of the increase in the numbers serving l

Prison unit costs cover the direct and overall cost of prison places and prisoner population. This publication covers 2019 to 2020.

The bulletin is released by the Ministry of Justice and produced in accordance with arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority.

Pre-release list

Prison unit cost statistics is produced and handled by the Ministry of Justice’s (MOJ) accounting professionals and production staff. Pre-release access of up to 24 hours is granted to the following persons:

Ministry of Justice

Minister’s Office:

• Minister of State with responsibility for Prisons and Probation
• Private Secretary
• Deputy Private Secretary (Prisons Desk)
• Deputy Principal Private Secretary (Prisons & Probation Desk)

Permanent Secretary’s Office:

• Permanent Secretary

Financial Officer Group:

• Chief Financial Officer
• Finance Director, Financial Management & Control Directorate
• Finance Director, Business Partnering
• Director of Financial Strategy, Planning & Performance
• Deputy Director, Management Accounting & Future Finance Programme
• Deputy Director, Tax Centre of Excellence
• Deputy Director, Financial Change & Planning
• Head of HMPPS Management Accounting
• Head of Finance Business Partnering for Prisons
• Lead Finance Business Partner: Public Sector Prisons
• Finance Business Partner, Head of Contracted Services
• Deputy Director, Financial Reporting, Transactions & Governance
• Head of Consolidated Accounts and HMPPS Financial Accounts
• Head of HMPPS Financial Accounts
• Head of Governance- HMPPS
• Senior Management Accounts Team Leaders x 2
• Strategic Accounting Manager
• Business Intelligence Manager

Data & Analytical Services Directorate:

• Deputy Director, Data & Analytical Services Directorate, Prison & Probation Operational Analysis
• Head of Operational Analysis
• Head of Prison Safety & Security Analysis Team

External Communications:

• Press Officers (x2)

HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS)

• Chief Executive Officer
• Senior Business Manager to the HMPPS CEO

This publication sets out statistics on adult male prison population and capacity, from 09 January 2023 to 08 July 2024.